Failure hurts. It can even be paralyzing, cementing your future in stone because you’re too scared to begin again. Failure breeds fear, and can be devastating. None of us would disagree. What’s important to remember is that every failure has a silver lining trailing in its wake. Of course, you won’t see it at the time, but somewhere down the road, when enough time as gone by, you’ll embrace the insights, wisdom, and lessons you gained from your failures. Here are 5 reasons why failure is the key to success.
We’ve all heard success stories of entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and inventors who failed many many times before they finally succeeded. Do you believe this same principle applies to you? In actuality, it applies to every person on this planet because failure is, and always will be, part of life. We are all going to experience it in one way or another. That is simply a given.
Do we make too big a deal of failure? Failure, as defined by Wikipedia, is a lack of success, falling short, or a failure to perform an expected action. I wish we could each individually redefine and accept failure as part of the deal, and something to be expected. If we did, maybe failure wouldn’t have such a negative stigma.
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Failure Is Your Friend – Here’s Why
Here are a few reasons failure really is your friend, although, you’ll only see this in hindsight.
Failure Leads To Success
Failing time and time again often paves the road to success. Why is it that the more times you fail, the more likely you are to succeed in future endeavors.
Because failure brings with it a whole host of learning opportunities and lessons that help you unpack what does and doesn’t work. The tapestry of your life will be woven from both your wins and losses.
You will then bring these valuable life lessons and wisdom into your next adventure, knowing what not to do. Failure can also put your mind into a troubleshooting mode, gleaning insights that you otherwise may not have had access to.
Your creativity and problem-solving abilities will be stretched as well, integrating wins and losses from past experiences. Creativity is a catalyst for innovation, and new ways of doing things. Can we shift our thinking in regard to failure, viewing it has a mentor, a teacher, and even a friend? It will take a shift in perception and awareness for sure, but it’s a healthier way to live.
Learning Through Failure
Failure precipitates change, and can be a wake-up call to learn the art of introspection and reflection. This can bring awareness of outdated thinking and behavior patterns. This is important because awareness precedes change. Self-awareness, and changes in perception and action, can lead to both personal and professional transformation, which are often intertwined.
Failure is an integral part of life. Believing otherwise is a set-up for disappointment. Think of it this way, failure is not wasted if you learn something. Develop this mindset, and you will most definitely learn invaluable lessons from your flops. I believe we should bring our failures into the light so others can learn from our hard-won wisdom. Failure should be viewed as a catalyst, rather than an impenetrable fence.
After all, it’s better to try and fail, then to not even begin, or to give up in the early stages when the going gets tough. And all of this because you’re scared of the consequences. Take risks, everything in life is a leap of faith, and we were never promised that everything we tried would work out. Look at it this way, if you fail you’re in good company. It happens to all of us. Listen below to what Tony Robbins has to say about failure or check out his free tools page HERE.
Why Failure Is Good For Success
Is there a particular mindset or specific methodology that successful people possess? I believe that there certainly is. People who have achieved success are resilient, have courage, and see the big picture. The failures of today are not forever. Tomorrow is a new day full of hope and promise. Failure is an exercise in self-development and progression, not to mention humility that comes in no other way.
You’ll value your successes that much more if they required all you had to give in terms of persistence, fighting against all odds, and a never-give-up attitude. Effort, hard work, commitment, and resiliency are what will take you to the finish line. Who you become in the struggle is just as valuable as the end result you’re hoping to achieve. Let your stresses, struggles, and failures transform you into a kinder, more understanding, and better human being.
Finally reaching the reward you’re seeking, many times requires time in the trenches, while traversing a rocky, lonely road with no destination in sight. It can be a painful process, but one that’s well worth it in the end. Fearing failure will only derail you from reaching your true potential, and may be the impetus for one of your biggest breakthroughs.
The Secrets To Financial Success
I know what failure feels like. I also know it can be a strict taskmaster and teacher. I didn’t know how to succeed online until a couple of years ago. Fortunately, I now believe I’m on the right path, and it feels really good.
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With millions of people online today, making a living via the internet is now more a reality than it’s ever been. If you’re ready for a change, would like to run your own business, be your own boss, pay it forward to others, and make an amazing living all at the same time, please read my review: [Read More: Is Wealthy Affiliate The Real Deal]
Key Points
We’ve all had big dreams that have flopped. It’s hard not to have your ego take a hit. The wounds can run deep. The gifts of failure, however, can lead to innovative ways of doing things, personal and professional transformation, increased self-awareness, and positive changes in behavior.
Wisdom and experience are hard-earned and come only through trials, failure and adversity. Let’s all learn to anticipate failure, using it as a stepping stone to our inevitable and eventual success.
How do you deal with failure? Let me know in the comments:)
I really needed this. You have written an important article that everyone should read. Failure is really important in everyone’s life. I think failure can push us to the next level. It is the path to success. Your article was really motivational for me.
Thank you so much for sharing this article.
I’m so glad you liked my post. I think the topic of failure is an important one because we all deal with it. If we can view failure in the right light it has the power to propel us forward, and can be one of our best teachers.
Thanks for you comment!
Hi Holly! I totally agree with you. Failure makes one feel very inadequate, depending on what the person failed at, and it can be very embarrassing as well. Most times after failing, we wallow in self pity that we will not even notice the silver lining trailing in failure’s wake.
You are indeed right when it comes to failure paving the way for success. Failing helps one to be more knowledgeable in that field and will give him the experience on how to tackle such issues in order to excel in the future.
Thanks Holly, for this educating piece.
Thank you. Failing at something is so hard, and it’s easy to give in to self-pity and defeat. The lessons most often come in hindsight after some of the sting as worn off.
We glean important lessons from failure that will propel us into endeavors that will be successful in the future.
Great post. Failure is good, and failure is bad too. Now this depends on the personality of the person involved as someone who tends to give up easily will find it much more difficult to utilize failure as a stepping stone. On the other hand, a diehard individual who sees falling down as an opportunity to continue will surely find it easier to make lemonade out of his lemons.
So very true. Thank you for your words of wisdom. We all view failure differently, and maybe even at different junctures of our lives, depending on our personalities and degree of tenacity.
Oh, Holly, this is an excellent article. I love the subject of failure to success. To never have tried is in fact failure. And when one can grow and learn from failure, they will be successful.
You have hit on the true definition of an entrepreneur. I am an entrepreneur and I have failed miserably many times. But I always get back up, brush myself off, look at what happened and go at it from a different angle.
I like this comment on your blog;”I wish we could each individually redefine and accept failure as part of the deal, and something to be expected. If we did, maybe failure wouldn’t have such a negative stigma.” It is so true!
You have incredible insight into how to be a true entrepreneur.
Thank you so much Laura for reading and commenting. I sure appreciate it.
I love the topic of failure and success too. It’s an aspect each one of us will have to eventually deal with. It’s part of life. The important thing is to learn from failure, and get back up and try again. I
Thank you for the inspiring article on failure. I do find this mindset to be of great help when you are working on something that is new and does not have a guaranteed perfect ending which happens a lot in the online marketing world. This article I’m sure will reach to the hearts of anyone trying to reach the top of the ranks on Google. We all do need to change our mindset about how we look at failure.
I agree Geoffrey, changing our mindsets about how we look at failure is important.
Nice article on how we can learn from failure in life and use it as a stepping stone to future success in life. I agree with all the ways you have mentioned in the article, how we can learn from failure. Yes, failure is painful but as you said it leads to innovation, behaviour changes and finally success.
As an athlete I have experienced this in my life many times. Moreover, in every area of my life I have experienced this very well.
Thanks for commenting. Failing is hard and we all experience it at some point in our lives, however, there are gifts that come trailing in its wake.