Are You Looking At Failure The Wrong Way?

14 replies
Over the years I've had many goals that I've successfully accomplished and some that I was unable to accomplish. I've learned a lot from successes, but I've also learned a lot from my failures and there is something I'd like to share with you.

You see, there is a mentality that is usually associated with failure and if you learn how to change this mentality then you will never fail ever again.

Now you're probably thinking, "Who does this guy think he is telling me that if I change my mentality I will never fail again, how would he know that?" Well, if you change the way you view failure then you won't be able to fail anymore because, perception is reality.

If you change your definition of failure then you can control your ability to succeed and fail at achieving your goals.

So for example, if you decide that you will keep taking action towards your goal no matter what the outcome, then how can you fail?

If you went to a basketball court and shot 100 jump shots and made 5 did you fail or succeed at taking 100 jump shots?

Well, it depends what you call failure. If you decide that you will take 100 jump shots and you only make 5 jump shots, you didn't fail, because you took 100 jump shots(which is exactly what you said you would do). The amount of jump shots you make doesn't matter as much as the amount of jump shots you took because your goal was to take 100 shots and that is exactly what you did.

Now, there is another way to look at it. You can say that you took 100 jump shots, but you only made 5, therefore you failed, because 5 out of 100 jump shots is a bad percentage.

Assuming that you focused on every shot and gave it your best effort, you actually didn't fail because you did your best and despite the fact that you didn't shoot a great percentage, you still took 100 jump shots. So, in this case, you're actually successful. You would be considered a failure if you let your percentage stop you from taking 100 more jump shots.

I hope you see what I'm saying here. Some people can look at this example and understand exactly what I'm saying and others may have to read it a couple times, but making this mindset shift will lead to a more positive outlook on what failure really looks like.

If you want a simpler version or a summary of this whole article, then here it is.

Focus on taking action and don't worry too much about the outcome. Don't beat yourself up when things don't go your way. The important thing is that you continue taking action and don't give up. If you're working towards getting something that you really want then don't let the word "no" or any other external factors stop you from achieving your goal.

If you want to be successful, you need to take action, whether it feels comfortable or not. Eventually, you will adapt to the situation and things will become more natural, but for now, just continue to take action and success will always be waiting for you around the corner.
#failure #wrong
  • Profile picture of the author YHmuWong
    action is more important but what about setting targets?i think doing two would make more sense?
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    • Profile picture of the author Trey Morgan
      Originally Posted by YHmuWong View Post

      action is more important but what about setting targets?i think doing two would make more sense?
      Yeah I agree, it is important to set targets. What I'm saying here is that you only fail when you don't take action. If you take action and you don't reach your target, that is not necessarily failure, but instead you just need to keep going and/or change your approach. Failure would be to quit before you're able to reach your target or get your favored results.

      So, as long as you don't give up, you can't fail in my opinion.
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  • Profile picture of the author RichBeck
    tvon,

    Anthony Robbins said it best.....

    "Events only have the meaning we assign them."

    We need to let go of expectations.....

    For me, the most import thing is to look at what was learned... and how I can improve.

    All The Best,

    Rich Beck BCIP, MCSD, MCIS
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    • Profile picture of the author Trey Morgan
      Originally Posted by RichBeck View Post

      tvon,

      Anthony Robbins said it best.....

      "Events only have the meaning we assign them."

      We need to let go of expectations.....

      For me, the most import thing is to look at what was learned... and how I can improve.

      All The Best,

      Rich Beck BCIP, MCSD, MCIS

      Yes we need to keep in mind that success doesn't happen overnight. You need to be able to take action even when you're not getting the kind of results you're striving for. Everybody has to start somewhere, and when you're just starting you can't expect to be getting the same results as someone who has been doing the same thing for years.
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      • Profile picture of the author glennshep
        For me, a key phrase here is: "It depends what you call failure".

        I actually wrote a blog post on this subject and in it I highlighted how the only way you will be certain to 100% guarantee failure is by doing nothing.


        Here's a phrase I use a lot when it comes to perceived obstacles: "An obstacle is only an obstacle when it's in your way."

        So, you've come up against an obstacle? Then do something about it so that it's no longer in your way! Go over it, around it or even through it! If all else fails, take another route entirely. But don't allow it to stop you completely. Keep moving and you will always get somewhere. Don't move and you're 100% guaranteed to get nowhere.

        Some will say that holding back until you know enough or have become skilled enough at a particular thing is better than struggling to get things right and repeating the same mistakes.

        But I would suggest that the best way to learn is by doing. So what if you make mistakes? Rather than viewing them as failures, view them as learning opportunities and part of the refining process.

        Now, of course there will be some cases in which it makes perfect sense to get a certain number of ducks lined up before taking action. I'm not suggesting that you should be reckless and throw caution to the wind completely. But it can be so easy to get into a perpetual learning mentality and keep on putting off taking action, finding yourself in a position of absolute failure without even trying because you end up never doing anything at all.

        I am someone who, by nature, is somewhat of a perfectionist. Additionally, there can be times when I find it hard to step out of my comfort zone. I went for years 'trying' to make money online, but what did I really try? Not much, in all honesty. Most of it was buying stuff, reading, watching, thinking. Sure, some of that was beneficial, but it would have been far better for me if I'd taken imperfect action and learned from it as I went.

        It was only when I took the plunge and just decided to go for it and see what happened that I began, for the first time ever, to move forwards.

        Did I make mistakes? Heck yes!

        Did things go wrong? Sure they did!

        But I learned from them, learned as I went and started to get better at what I was doing.

        Do I have it perfect now? No, far from it. I still make mistakes and things still go wrong. But that will always happen.

        At the end of the day, I'm glad that I finally got off my butt and started taking action rather than worrying about failure.

        Now I don't see failures as, well, failures. I view them as learning experiences and opportunities. I believe that there is always something that you can learn from something that you may, at first, view as a failure. It all boils down to having the correct perception.

        Great post, Trey!


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  • Profile picture of the author damiensuccess
    Well said, and something I truly believe. Perception can be a wonderful thing. No matter the outcome of an event, it is your thoughts and reactions that direct you.

    I had started a thread last night, but decided to complete it today since I was tired. With tired having its irony in the thread, I had finished it just now and realizing how supportive both our threads are of each other. My article Do you see the good side? discusses what to look for when bad events occur, that could help even benefit from it.

    I recon you aim to see the good side also, Tvon
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  • Profile picture of the author stopper
    In the end It feels better to have tried and failed than to ponder over what might have been. "What might have been" is usually the worst place to be. It is only comparable to I wish I knew.
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    • Profile picture of the author damiensuccess
      Originally Posted by stopper View Post

      In the end It feels better to have tried and failed than to ponder over what might have been. "What might have been" is usually the worst place to be. It is only comparable to I wish I knew.
      Good point

      You basically have 3 scenarios
      1. Success with a desirable outcome
      2. Success with an undesirable outcome
      3. Denying all possibility of any success ( Not Trying )

      Even if you fail, think about where you would be if you never had tried in the first place. Probably sitting at home wondering what it would be like to even try what you actually just attempted.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    there are things that failure is not an option and failure can be catastrophic..you don't want the brain surgen..or your accountant to fail at what they do

    then there is the 92 percent of everything else that the highest paid people ..athletes ,,actors ,,hedge fund managers .venture capitalists..fail quite a bit.. but their successes..

    marketers expect to fail more than they succeed .. that is why they test and test .

    fail more fail fast ..fail small..
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  • Profile picture of the author JagSEO
    Perception Is Reality, nice post by the way. It's up to you to interpret your situation and make something out of it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
    Banned
    Great post.

    Something I've said before is: "You can only fail at Internet Marketing if you stop taking action." (And even then, you can get going again another time.)
    : )
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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 Princess Balestra
    Fools snort drool is all I know.

    Gotta fix mix of eff-use, inf-use and KR-use if you wanna hang twixt philos and dross.

    But don't quote me on that.

    *Hair*
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  • Profile picture of the author RealSocialSignals
    Setting targets is a very important step. It should not be missed or else the whole planing won't feel right. You won't know where you are in comparison to your goals, and if you;re in the right track or not.
    Even the water has a final destionation (anynone? ) , so should even our plans.
    But they should not be to prolonged, or they will fail because of complexity (similar to sequels milking the original idea.)
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  • Profile picture of the author Blue Galaxy
    A simple shift in perception can work exceptionally well especially if that comes fromthe likes of the cosmic master (the paragon hypnotist) who, under his hypnotic spells you can self-service yourself unleash the innermost potential.

    You will discover when you're on your own, that any resistance is futile in countering failure. The tendency to fail just persists because you've been programmed to...fail by design. You need drastic changes and hypnosis can help in that department.

    I remember myself being tired of being broke and worn to a frazzle until the very moment I was attracted to the cosmic master and his imperious programs. It was then that I knew my actual existence sustained a total make over, virtually overnight.
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