How Failure Can Lead to Your Greatest Success

I have to be completely honest with you about something – you will fail. And sometimes, it really IS your fault. We live in a world filled with blame. If you have ever tried to file an insurance claim you know the process all too well – all conversations lead back to the question of who is at fault, and who should shoulder the blame. But let me be very clear about something, this type of attitude will NOT work in the business world. Pointing the finger of blame at employees, service providers, business partners or clients will get you one place really fast – nowhere! Instead, it’s time to adopt a new way of thinking. In life, things will go wrong and whether you see success or failure as a result will be determined by how you react to it. So the next time you are faced with failure, follow these steps to ensure that your latest failure becomes a step toward your greatest success.

1. Change the Mental Conversation

When you fail, don’t focus on the failure. Instead, focus on how you are going to get back on track and what it is going to take you to get there. It is too easy to self-sabotage yourself by saying things like “I can’t,” “I failed,” “I will never,” etc. Eliminate the negativity! When you tell yourself these things enough it is all your brain will remember and you will believe it. Instead, change the mental conversation by telling yourself, “I can,” “I will,” and “I won,” and you will begin to see what you speak.

2. Don’t Be a Victim

Understand that you have the right and the power to make choices. You also have the ability to make changes. The sense of “victimization” lives deep inside all of us and can poison our sense of accomplishments and disempower us from making the correct choices if allowed to prosper. Some people wallow in their own victimization, thus paralyzing themselves from being able to move forward.

Here’s an example of what being a victim vs. owning your choices looks like: If you were late to an appointment and you lost a deal as a result you could blame the traffic, the slow car in front of you, the construction on the freeway, or the kids for making you late. Or, you could realize that you didn’t build enough time into your schedule to allow for unforeseen challenges. You could play the victim card, or you could own your choices, apologize for your failures, and learn from your mistakes by building in more time in the future. If you don’t they will add weight to your life, decrease your effectiveness and hold you back from want you want to accomplish.

3. Rise Above Failure and Change Course

How you react to challenges and failure has everything to do with how successful you will become. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who constantly places blame on other people and things for why they can’t accomplish something? No matter what solution or help you might offer, they are just as quick to come up with a reason why it will not work. As a result, they never accomplish what they say they want to do.

Instead, look at each challenge and failure as an opportunity. Ask yourself, “Ok, this approach failed but what can I learn from this situation that will help me achieve my goals?” Every failure comes with immense opportunity to learn, grow, and do better next time. Thomas Edison is a famous example of someone who learned from his mistakes and kept pressing forward. He is famously quoted as saying, “I didn’t fail. I just found 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work.” With this way of thinking, we should actually get excited about failure – because it brings us one step closer to finding a solution that actually works.

Have you experienced failure? Are you almost ready to give up? Don’t! The difference between success and failure is microscopic and all it takes is having the right focus to see the path to success. Join me at The Grow Grid Intensive, November 3-4, 2016 and get the tools you need to succeed. Learn more and register today!