19Dec

Failure often takes a back seat while success basks in the limelight. It is an underappreciated teacher, a silent mentor, and the ultimate hack for achieving lasting success. 

As J. Wallace Hamilton wisely said, “People are training for success when they should be training for failure.” This may sound counterintuitive, but failure is more common than success, just as disappointment is more normal than arrival.

Embracing failure as a stepping stone to success is a mindset shared by many high achievers. It is what sets them apart from the average folk. To understand the significance of this, we must explore the difference between average individuals and those who reach the zenith of their goals. The secret doesn’t lie in avoiding failure but in how we perceive and respond to it.

I  ponder a lot about what sets the average folk apart from the high achievers. John Maxwell’s wisdom sheds light on this when he explains that “the difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” This is a statement that encapsulates the essence of why embracing failure is the ultimate hack for success.

The Lessons from Failure

Every failure brings with it a valuable lesson. It’s the universe’s way of teaching us something important. In fact, some of life’s most significant lessons are learned through adversity. By analysing our failures and understanding the reasons behind them, we gain insights that can propel us toward success.

Innovator and entrepreneur Steve Jobs understood the significance of failure. After being ousted from the company he co-founded, Apple, he experienced a series of professional failures. However, he didn’t let these experiences deter him. Instead, he embraced them as opportunities for growth. He once said, “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

Motivation and Determination

Failure is a powerful motivator. It is a powerful catalyst to rev up our determination to prove to ourselves and others that we can overcome adversity. I have failed many times,  trying out different things and many more times than I would like but looking back,  I don’t regret the experience of some of the decisions I made. One of the earliest setbacks I faced was in my academic pursuits at university. I didn’t perform as well as I hoped in my Bachelor’s degree programme since  I didn’t have the competitive grades needed to gain a pupillage, I decided at the time to go in a different direction and move into compliance which was a  very new and a bit of an unknown sector at the time. It was a gamble but it paid off immensely. Again having settled into the corporate world, I encountered my fair share of setbacks. I can cast my mind back to a few years when things seemed to standstill and  I didn’t get promoted as quickly as I had hoped.

Rather than giving in to discouragement, I chose to respond differently. I put in extra effort and dedication to my work. Simultaneously, I channeled my energy into more external interests outside of work, such as networking, youth football, and writing. These activities not only gave me a sense of purpose they also helped me perform better in my professional career. Making me a  more well-rounded person at the same time. I find that failure can sometimes be inevitable as there is no guarantee of success for anything but what you have control over is how you approach every situation. Another discovery I made is that failure can be a catalyst for unexpected opportunities. Always remember that in truth there is no failure, only redirection. 

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.

Dale Carnegie

Resilience and Adaptation

One of the greatest benefits of embracing failure is the development of resilience and adaptability. Failure challenges us to bounce back from setbacks and encourages us to evolve our strategies. When we fail, we adapt and strive to find new, innovative ways to reach our goals. This resilience becomes a powerful tool in our journey towards success.

Take the example of Oprah Winfrey, who was fired from her first television job as an anchor. This early setback didn’t stop her; it motivated her. Oprah embraced the experience and used it to launch her career as a talk show host. Her adaptability and resilience have since led her to become one of the most influential and successful media moguls in the world.

Turning Setbacks Into Opportunities

Embracing failure is not about celebrating defeat but understanding that it can be a stepping stone if used strategically and not a stumbling block. To succeed, we must be willing to take risks, and with all risk comes the possibility of failure. When we accept that failure is an integral part of growth and success, we free ourselves from the fear of it and become more resilient in our pursuits.

Therefore, embrace life’s challenges; they are stepping stones to success. Take action and turn setbacks into opportunities.