Working Progress

Of course I don't jest. And don't call me Shirley.
Just as "every lie has a grain of truth," so too does every failure contain keys to success. Here are some things to consider whenever you experience failure (and believe me, everyone does at one point or another) to better capitalize on the situation.

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I

Dealing With Fear

 

The first step in learning how to fail well is, well, to fail. To do THAT, you're going to have to get comfortable with the idea that you can even fail in the first place.

It can be nerve-wracking, going into something you are unsure about. Just remember - that feeling is natural. Every person in this whole world has something that makes them feel that way, you aren't alone. And you certainly aren't wrong for feeling that way, either! The key is to accept that fear for what it is and move on anyway. 

Naturally, this tip isn't saying "Go out and be as reckless as you want, don't let fear of consequences get in the way!" What is IS saying is that if you've given something a decent amount of thought and one of your main reasons for holding back is because you're afraid to fail, then maybe that's worth evaluating. 

The thing about fearing failure is that FAILING is actually very rarely what it is you're afraid of. So what is it, then? Analyze your hesitation. What does failure mean in this context? These are the things to really be aware of when trying to decide on an action. 

Don't ignore your fear, see what it can teach you about YOU. Let it help educate your decision, not force you away from making it. There's nothing wrong with being afraid or doing something that scares you. Just make sure you know what it is you're afraid of!

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II

Change Your Perspective

Okay, so you tried something new and it didn't work out. You gave it your best shot, really gave it your all, and you still didn't make it. Now all you can taste is the bitterness of failure. What a waste of time, right? Better give up on that whole train of thought forever, right?

I think you can see where I'm going with this. Instead of focusing in on the things that went wrong or the things that you can't change, why not try shifting your perspective to things that are more worth your time? You failed, sure, but there can't be NOTHING for you to take away from the experience.

For starters, WHY did you fail? Did you not pass a test because you didn't study enough? Is it better to say "Aw, man, I guess I'll just NEVER be good at Calculus" or to be more introspective and ask "How can I use this experience to prevent this from happening again?" Instead of looking at the things you can't change (i.e. the test score) try and look at the things you CAN. In this example, you could reevaluate your study habits or maybe gain a better understanding of the type of test that particular teacher gives out. Broaden your horizons and try to tackle the situation from multiple different angles, there's sure to be something useful you can pull out of the situation!

Perspective is everything and it can really help bring something good out of a bad a experience. Sometimes the only difference between a bad day and a good day is the things we lend our focus. Keeping an open mind and being reflective can help you to guarantee that your failures can still be a positive experience in the long term, you just have to be receptive to letting that happen!

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And more tips to come! Watch this space, we're always growing!
Got an idea for a tip? Just shoot it over to JakeIsNotGross@gmail.com!