If you set a goal and don't reach it, did you fail?

37 replies
If you set a goal and don't reach it, did you fail?
#fail #goal #reach #set
  • Profile picture of the author millionairenewbie
    Banned
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Murphy
      ...that depends on what you do after you realize that you didn't reach the goal.

      If you give up and quit, then yes.... you failed. If you shake it off, readjust your perspective and blaze a new path to that goal, then you haven't failed, you simply got one step closer to reaching your goal.

      Never EVER give up....EVER! You could wind up giving up right before you were about to succeed....
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  • Profile picture of the author Oregane
    Hi Scott,

    all new here, But your post struck a chord with me.

    If you see missing your goal as "failure" at this point, this is what will happen:

    From the words of James T Mangan:

    "The conscious part of you speaks out loud, for the whole of the personality, because the subconscious mind has no speaking power of its own.

    And whatever thoughts, beliefs, opinions, theories or dogmas YOU write, engrave, or impress on your subconscious mind, you shall experience them as the objective manifestation of circumstances, conditions and events.

    What you write on the inside, you will experience on the outside. Your thought is received by your brain, which is the organ of your conscious reasoning mind. When your conscious or objective mind accepts the thought completely, it is sent to the solar plexus, called the brain of your mind, where it becomes flesh and is made manifest in your experience.

    As said before, your subconscious cannot argue. It acts only from what you write on it. It accepts your verdict or the conclusions of your conscious mind as final. You are writing your own book of life. And you can change it simply by rewriting it"

    A learning opportunity, as said before, is the successful way to go!

    Oregane
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  • Profile picture of the author Ken Durham
    Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post

    If you set a goal and don't reach it, did you fail?
    Absolutely. You should then go buy an old pickup truck, an extension ladder, and a roofing hammer and go shingle roofs for the rest of your life.

    Or

    Call it a learning phase and readjust your goals using what you have just learned.
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    yes, I am....

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    • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
      Only if you stopped working towards the goal.

      I've failed at things before but I have never failed at a goal - just haven't reached them all yet.

      Tina
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      • Profile picture of the author paulgl
        Man, that is one terrific question!

        Sometimes you warriors come up with some stuff!

        I think one can consider their goal as "failed" if they fail to achieve it.
        But that does not make them failures. I think there is a difference between
        failing at a goal and being a failure.

        In fact, I can't say for sure that anyone could actually really be labeled a
        failure, except in the correct connotation. Fail at so and so, but not be
        a failure.

        Losing the Super Bowl, does that make you a failure? In that specific
        game, you failed. But, you were still champs of something to get their.
        Hardly a "failure."

        We toss the term fail and failure out there too often, without putting
        the term in the right perspective. Using fail or failure, we must give
        the circumstances surrounding the "failing."

        Zeroing in on the question, if you set out to do A,B,C, and then D, but
        only get to C, have you failed? You have failed at getting to D, but
        succeeded in getting A,B, and C. I guess it's all about perspective.

        Paul
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        If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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  • Profile picture of the author kallen101
    I do think you failed Some goals are just unattainable! Sometimes they are not what you thought they would be, and its better to just not persue them. I dont think you failed if you dont reach a goal... I really dont like anyone thinking of themselves as a failure
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  • Profile picture of the author rmolina88
    My first 2 weeks into IM, I thought I failed, but I realized I need to keep going.
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    • Profile picture of the author webwriter
      That's the whole key to success --- keep going. Oh sure, you may have some adjustments to make in the meantime, but all roads should lead you to your goal. Some roads are shorter and straighter than others though.
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  • Profile picture of the author joesfortune
    You only fail when you stop. Success is not a one-way street. Oftentimes we make a lot of detours. But as long as you keep on pushing on, you will ultimately reach your goal.
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  • Profile picture of the author vishalduggal
    You never fail.All these kind of failures are just temporary defeats.Now the real difference between actual and temporary defeat.and remember NEVER GIVE UP.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jim Gillum
    Not a failure..
    Just missed the target..

    Simply re-aim...and shoot again...
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  • Profile picture of the author obuya
    No, you didn't, your input needs a review, and the goal should be broken down into several mini goals to the final goal
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
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    Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post

    If you set a goal and don't reach it, did you fail?
    Depends how you look at it.

    For instance, let's suppose you decide to invent the light bulb. And, on your 50th attempt, you "fail."

    However, because of this "failure" (and all that came before it) you understand the missing ingredient that makes the whole thing work.

    Now, would you say that your 50th (and 1st and 30th) attempt were all "failures?" Or were they learning experiences and opportunities to understand more, including how to "succeed?"

    I suppose it all comes down to being a glass half empty or half full kind of person.
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    "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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  • Profile picture of the author sarafina
    You may have failed at achieving that specific goal but I don't think you're a failure if you learn from it and keep going. You only fail when you quit.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ronald Nzimora
    We must swallow this bitter truth that life does not give us all things we hope for.
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  • Profile picture of the author Leslie B
    Not reaching your goal isn't failing, not learning from your mistakes that's failing. Quitting when you don't reach your goal, that's failing. Not reaching your goal, is learning.

    Leslie
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    Taking it one day at a time!
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    • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
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      Originally Posted by john55 View Post

      We must swallow this bitter truth that life does not give us all things we hope for.
      Speak for yourself. Everything I want is out there waiting to be achieved. (Unless something tragic happens.)

      Originally Posted by Leslie B View Post

      Not reaching your goal isn't failing, not learning from your mistakes that's failing. Quitting when you don't reach your goal, that's failing. Not reaching your goal, is learning.
      You're right. That could be considered a "failure." However, there's so much to be learned from these experiences.

      Remember Darby from "Think And Grow Rich?" As I mentioned before, he literally stopped 3 feet from gold. And, like Napoleon Hill reveals, he turned that "failure" into success by understanding the lesson.

      There's no reason why we can't do the same. I suppose what I'm saying is that "failure" can still be considered a valuable experience no matter what the context.
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      "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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      • Profile picture of the author Michele Welch
        I guess it depends on how YOU define failure. It's different for everyone. For me it's not even trying as oppose to working on something and not achieving what you set out for.

        Sometimes you have a goal but things change along the way and you have to be open to changing with it and not being attached to the outcome.

        It's about taking actions in the moment/at the present and having an intention but being ok if that intention is manifested differently then what you thought it would look like.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    No Scott.

    You received an opportunity to learn from. You will get there, and will take any number of steps. Some call these steps failure, others opportunities.

    Nothing is a failure if you can learn something from it. It can only be a success.

    Ryan Biddulph
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  • Profile picture of the author Kendra Hanes
    Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post

    If you set a goal and don't reach it, did you fail?
    Not at all ... "failure" is just another opportunity for success.
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  • Yes you did fail to reach your goal. If the military fail to conquer the beach and that their goal did they fail? Yes they did. However, they lost the battle not the war. So keep chugging along
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    • Profile picture of the author naruq
      If I set a goal and don't reach it, no I did not fail. I may have to change my strategy or approach.
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  • Now, its funny people say they haven't fail etc...that failure is valuable. If you've read the statistics...failed biz owner have the same failure rate when they start a 2nd business. Failure does nothing for you.

    In contrast, the successful biz owner who starts a 2nd biz has like 30% more chances of success (don't quote me, forgot the actual stats)

    Now what does this means? Focus on success, learn from your success and keep on expanding on success. Ignore the failures. (you can only do that by admitting that this is indeed failure)
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    • Profile picture of the author Verena
      I'm at the optimistic side, I would term it "yet to be successful"....not fail.
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      • Profile picture of the author kin_lau
        It really depends on how you fail that? My point is if you give you best and learn something during the way, you are not fail, you result is telling you, you need to keep learning.

        However if you fail because you didn't follow through your plan or just being lazy. I think that is a fail from inside out. Cause at the end you are no better than before. No effort was put in, no learning, no growth, ultimately fail.
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
    There is no such thing as failure. There are only results. - Tony Robbins
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    Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

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    • Profile picture of the author SmashTweet
      I will say - I have not completed it yet, I need to re-adjust certain things and plunge once more to reach my goal.

      Now if you are denied of a second chance then take it as a learning opportunity and head towards the next juncture and am sure the previous learning would help you succeed this time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Demond Jackson
    I have learned from Brian Tracy that there are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines. With that in mind, push your goal completion date out a month. Use that extra time to achieve your goal. And if you don't hit the goal then, extend it another 30 days.

    Many people give up and quit when they really do have great momentum working on their behalf. If they were to just keep on keeping on, they would meet with the success they seek sooner or later.
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    Commitment is the difference between people who "have potential" and people who have results.
    Demond Jackson
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Man I'll tell you what. I can't thank all of you, but some of you have
      given some terrific answers on one terrific question.

      A lot of perspectives here that are worth reading.

      Let me just add another. Failing at a goal does not make one
      a failure. In that regard, I'd say if you fail to reach a goal, you
      can always recalibrate!

      But other true words were spoken here as well. Failing at a business
      does not exactly make one a better person, nor a better businessman.

      I hope more come up with some perspectives because this thread is pretty
      entertaining as well as insightful.

      Paul
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      If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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      • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
        Banned
        Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

        Failing at a business
        does not exactly make one a better person, nor a better businessman.
         
        Understanding how to turn "defeat" into "victory" does make someone a better person. After all, we call it "Personal Development."
         
        Originally Posted by affiliatecoachlandon View Post

        Now what does this means? Focus on success, learn from your success and keep on expanding on success.
        Good advice, AffiliateCoach. We all have different perspectives.

        When looking at statistics, you're thinking of the average person. Imagine what kind of advantage people who understand the "secret" of failure enjoy.
        Remember, street smarts are more important than book smarts. (At least, that's what I've found to be true.)

        [Edit ...]

        (My apologies if I came across as arrogant or insecure. Thank you for the great discussion. Anyone have any other thoughts about "failure?")
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        "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."―Joseph Sugarman
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        • Profile picture of the author Vogin
          What would be the fun of it to accomplish everything first time I tried it? I enjoy and welcome mistakes, because I know they make me brighter and more skillful.
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  • Profile picture of the author kcorps
    No, of course. It may be sounds so self-enthusiastic but I assure you, whenever I consider failure as step stones to reach my goal, I will feel be motivated all the time.

    Failure is our best mentor. It patiently teach us the meaning of success. So, just enjoy the lesson c:
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  • Profile picture of the author markament
    Failure is just feedback.
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  • Profile picture of the author Edk
    Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post

    If you set a goal and don't reach it, did you fail?
    The blueprint for failing includes not making a goal
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  • Profile picture of the author mcampbell075
    Failure is not an option. We don’t chose to fail neither we opted to become a loser. It is an honor to fail. Failure is the baptism of fire. Failure is a wake up call. From failing, we evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. We scout for opportunities and prepare for threats.

    Do not judge people who try and fail but those who fail to try. Tom Hopkins
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  • Profile picture of the author ucajack
    I think first of all one should set a realistic goal and should always see it at least once in a day before starting to work.
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