Failure Isn't Bad; It's a Lifestyle
April 11, 2021•209 words
Failure is a gift in disguise. If you never fail, you're only trying things that are too easy and playing far below your level.
When you fail at something you care about, you can't help but feel intense negative feelings. This natural response is your greatest weapon. Memories are attached to strong emotions, so you have the opportunity to mould the failure into a motivating learning experience.
Be thankful that without much effort, this lesson will stay with you. Unlike going over a book repeatedly, truly experiencing something with such strong emotions provides a much more primal lesson.
You can also think, "I never want to feel this way again," and use it to motivate you towards actions that will help you avoid having to feel this way again.
Finally, make sure you 100% own your failures. Blaming others might make you feel good about yourself, but it does nothing for your personal growth. No one is perfect, and although it may not be 100% your fault, the only thing that matters is that you try to learn what you can from your contributions in the failure.
If you can't remember any time in the last six months when you failed, you aren't trying to do difficult enough things.