I’m half way through my latest audiobook and I came across a real gem in it. I love when you get one of those moments and something so obvious becomes real clear to you.
The author used a sentence “failed does not equal a failure”
Her point was just because we fail at something doesn’t mean WE are a failure.
I started think how this relates to what we do on a day to day basis. Too often we fail at something and call ourselves a failure. The action of “failing” somehow turns into a personal definition of who we are as a person
“God I couldn’t stick that diet, I’m such a failure”. Well maybe it was just too strict of a diet to start on?
“Damn I couldn’t lift that weight, I’m so weak”. Maybe it wasn’t the right weight for you yet where it could be shortly.
I think we need to adopt more of a growth mindset for ourselves. Failing at something is part of the journey, part of the process of growing. It doesn’t define us a person. Once you can take a lesson from it and learn from the mistake, you can start to see how to improve and move away from that fixed mindset. That fixed mindset gives us those limiting beliefs.
Instead of thinking “I’m such a failure for not staying on that diet”, maybe think “That diet was too extreme for me to start on. If I focus more on planning my snacks for the next few weeks I know I’ll put myself in a better place to succeed”
Instead of thinking “Oh that weight was too heavy, I’m just too weak and will never be strong.” Maybe think, “If I drop that weight back by 10kg and add 2.5kg each week, in a months’ time I’ll have really improved my strength”
Failing does not equal failure.
Change your mindset to that of a growth one and stop putting labels on yourself.
Think of some of those really famous “failures” you have probably seen floating around the internet
-Michael Jordon saying he has missed more than 9000 shots in his career
-Edison saying he failed 10,000 times before he got the lightbulb right
-Oprah was dropped as a news anchor because she wasn’t “fit for television”
Would you consider these people as failures?
They have failed more than we probably ever will yet they aren’t labelled as failures.
Failing is part of the process.
Embrace the journey and don’t be afraid to fail!