How to Happily Fail Your Way To Success & Thrive

 

FAILURE. There! I said it.  That nasty word.

That's one of Life's toughest lessons right there.  

No one wants to fail at anything - not school, relationships, life, business, sports, health... you name it, we want success, not failure.  

And the more SUCCESS, the better.  The 95% on that mid-term is way better than the 63% - which is absolutely better than the 45%.

Failure, however, is impossible to avoid entirely.  

Even the most talented athlete, the most sought-after artist, the music prodigy, and the math wiz will have their challenges in life ... and will even fail at things too. 

Life is funny that way - always making us grow and stretch and BECOME someone better than we were last year, last week, even yesterday.  

Failures, setbacks, and obstacles are just a part of the human experience and some failure along the way is not only expected but can actually be beneficial, even inspiring. 

With failure, comes lessons.

We can learn from failure.  

Knowledge and wisdom can be gained when we recognize what went wrong, even though mistakes can be painful, difficult to admit, and the worst:  humiliating. 

Failure, and our recognition of the lessons it brings, can inspire continued drive and courage. 

Take Colonel Sanders for example.  At 65 years of age, he was retired and all he had in his wallet was his meager social security cheque and a chicken recipe - and an idea.  

The Colonel's plan was rejected more than a hundred times (yes...100+ times) before he succeeded and founded Kentucky Fried Chicken - KFC as we know it today. 

And his story of failure, and success, is far from unique. 

• Arianna Huffington was rejected by 36 publishers
• Bill Gates' first company didn't make it
• Walt Disney was told he lacked creativity (really???)
• Steve Jobs was ousted from the company he created by his own board of directors (gasp!!)
• 3 times a charm for Milton Hershey. Hershey's was his 4th attempt at a candy-related venture
• 1,000+ attempts for Thomas Edison to successfully create his light bulb 

Imagine if he'd given up at 999?

When we're open about our mistakes and share our stories of failure in life, in business, in relationships, as students, with finances, and so on... we share honesty, vulnerability and here's the best part:  we save others from making the same mistakes we've made.  

We have the chance to inspire others to learn from our missteps and DO Better!

Here are my very best tips for failing YOUR way to success:

1. Adopt A Positive Attitude

Yes, you read that correctly.  Your attitude about something is entirely your choice. It can apply in times of failure too.  

Is failing painful?  Of course, it is.  

Is it humbling?  It certainly can be.  

Is it a powerful, driving force?  Absolutely! If you let it be.

Adopting a neutral perspective allows you to move from being reactive and acting on impulse, to being proactive and taking a deliberate approach to problem-solving.  

According to Author, Stephen Covey, "even when circumstances limit choices, a pro-active person will find where they can think logically instead of getting emotionally hijacked." 

Thinking proactively will allow you to ask better questions.  Consider that failure actually serves you. It's taught you what didn't work, bringing you a step closer to success.  In this way, failure is still progress.   

• What did you learn from your failed experience?
• What can you control in the situation? 
• What new, innovative solutions can you come up with to try next?
• What can you do instead as you move forward and try again?

2. Become Crystal Clear

This step will take some quiet, reflective time.  To achieve success in anything that you want Gain Clarity. 

Consider what you REALLY want for yourself and what you want to create for your future. 

What is it that you REALLY want to achieve?

Become SO clear about it that you can taste that success, you can smell the achievement of that goal. 

VISUALIZE what it is that you really want to accomplish. 

Imagine yourself winning that goal. 

Your brain is an incredible instrument of achievement.  It will actually go to work for you while you're sleeping, coming up with solutions for you to achieve what you want.  Harness that incredible power by seeing your goal in your mind's eye.   

Journal about it. Talk about it with your partner.  Devise a plan. 

What do you need to do, who do you need to become, who do you need to know to achieve your goal? Consider how you'll organize your time, manage your resources and streamline your processes to support your goals and your primary core values.  

Become crystal clear and laser-focused about it.   

3. Prioritize Your Time

It's easy to get distracted by all the things going on in the day - the kids, the family, the pages long 'To Do' list, the boss' agenda and deadlines for work, the news, and social media.  Chances are, you wear plenty of hats with a whole bunch of demands on your time.

So be smart about how you spend your precious minutes.  

Pick what means the most to you and organize your day with your priorities in mind.  

EVERY WEEK (I usually do this on Sundays to set up my week for success) 

1. Take some time to organize your schedule
2. Schedule in your work commitments and family time, 
3. Add in time for your daily and weekly errands and after that
4. Take a look at all the available time you have to get your big rocks in
5. DECIDE what's most important to YOU (Self-Care Practices, Exercise, Soul nourishing activities, what will bring you closer to your big goals?)
6. Add in those blocks of time and then HONOUR your schedule - keep those dates with yourself 
7. Add some buffer time around each - to reduce your stress level and not let your schedule get overwhelming - but FOLLOW your schedule. 

Practicing this one time management success strategy will help you take control of your time - and win the day - everyday.  PLUS you'll lead a more balanced life and move closer to what it is that you want to achieve.  

4. Prioritize Yourself

Before you can take care of everything else in your life, all the other people who depend on you, it's important to take care of yourself.  

Be sure to devote some time each day to honour your body, expand your mind and nourish our soul - it's the very best thing you can do for yourself. 

If you don't have time in your schedule for your own daily self-care routine, it's time to remedy that because we really can't pour from an empty cup.  

If you're not able to get the things that are most important to you into your day, week and month, (like time for yourself and for the things that light you up) what you have is a time management challenge - not a time challenge.

When you're on a mission to achieve something fantastic, it's going to take time and dedication.  It may mean reorganizing your schedule so that you make achieving your goal a priority.  

Here's what I mean:

• If you're looking to get healthy and fit and reach your ideal weight, you'll need to schedule time for daily physical activity, learn what it takes to be healthy and fit and make wise food choices.  Some changes may need to be made.  
• If you're looking to open a new business that you love, you'll likely need to learn some new skill sets, learn about marketing and business and put together a plan for your success.
• If you're looking to find your soul-level love match and start a family, you may need to change a few things in your life to accommodate those plans.
• If you're looking to become debt-free or buy a new home, you may need to get your financial strategies sorted out and devise a personal prosperity plan and if you're half of a partnership, you'll need to get your partner on board. 

Your awesome goals and dreams are worthy of your time and consistent, persistent efforts.  Putting yourself on your own schedule, and making you and what you want for your life does take practice.  So keep at it and aim for progress every day (as opposed to perfection). 

Do something to move closer to success every single day.  Schedule it right into your planner.

5. Believe & Become

Check in with yourself about what you believe is possible - for yourself and for your life. 

And then BELIEVE in the power of your dreams and goals - and your own ability to make those things happen.  

ACT with purpose. As you become more practiced in thinking proactively, and asking better questions to reach more successful outcomes, it's important to factor your values into your vision. 

Once you believe that you can do it, DECIDE you will...and then get busy putting together your success plan.  Acknowledging what matters, the goals you're chasing and the impact you want to make will help you align your decisions. 

If you're serious about your success, chances are, your plan will begin with some goalsetting.  Start with making a S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Action Plan to achieve what you want.  Check out my blog post about Goal Setting.  I break down the art of goal setting into a simple stepping-stone process.  

Have the attitude that you will not stop until you achieve your goal.  When something doesn't work - evaluate what when wrong and then, just try a different approach. 

• Take another run at it.  
• Learn some more about it.  
• Become who you need to be to win that goal and succeed. 

Overcoming setbacks will challenge your mental toughness and your ability to persevere through the chaos, control your emotion and remain committed to achieving your desired outcomes. 

To enhance your resiliency

1. Create certainty by filling yourself with the belief that success is a foregone conclusion - the ONLY possible result.  
2. Clearly visualize the outcome before it materializes
3. Be singularly focused on executing the priorities that'll lead to your desired results

The next time you feel discouraged, ready to toss in the towel and give up on your goal or dream, consider these inspiring words of wisdom from Thomas Edison: 

"I have found 10,000 ways something won't work. I am not discouraged. Every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." 

Your Turn Now

I'd love to hear from YOU. 

• Which strategies do you already use?
• Which will you try?
• Would you like a Free Resource to help set up your self-care plan?

Leave your comments below.

Share your thoughts and tips.  

Let me know if you'd like my self-care guide. Happy to send it along to you.

 About the Author:

Andrea Raco, is a Certified Success and Life Enrichment Coach, Founder of Coach for Life, and Curator of Gold Key Club ~ a private community for Sisters making a difference in the world with their unique gifts and talents.

For more information about her services and programs, visit www.coachforlife.ca or contact her via e-mail: andrea@coachforlife.ca.