Failure is a misunderstood concept by many. It conjures up red ink, the letter “F” an idea that we are less than, dumb and unable to achieve. Yet every great leader, inventor, visionary failed hundreds of times before they had their massive success yet they understood “failure” for what it truly is, feedback.
Here are 3 simple steps that will allow you to understand the true nature of failure and how to use it to your advantage so you can feel engaged, present, and aligned with creating massive success in any area of your life.
Step 1: Change your Mind– Failure is feedback, that’s all, it’s information, designed to offer us more of what we do want and less of what we no longer want or need.
Often we see success and failure as two opposing ideas when in fact they are opposite sides of the same coin… one in the same. Realize that on your journey to success you will travel through moments that will give you feedback and perspective. You may think it’s a failure when really it is just a moment that you get to choose what is next!
So the next time you feel like dissecting everything that seemingly went wrong, instead ask, what did this make possible for me? There is always a gift and life IS always working out for you.
Step 2: Go for the NO! This was a huge game-changer for me in my business. I stopped trying to get everyone to say yes and instead set my sights on going for the “NO”. It took the pressure off, my focused switched, I was no longer motivated by money and pressuring myself on what I had to do… instead, it became a game that was fun. I wasn’t stopped if I heard the word no, I didn’t back down, I wasn’t motivated by pleasing and doing for the sake of doing for everyone else. This isn’t selfish, going for the no is essential in giving yourself permission to realize a word is just a word and it doesn’t have to hold any power over your ability to create amazing outcomes in any aspect of your life!
When I fully embraced this idea, I thought of it like, if it’s true that the more we fail, the more we succeed, then the immediate goal should be to intentionally increase your failure rate! With this thought in mind, you’re succeeding even when you fail. Yes, this is a counter-intuitive, reverse thinking philosophy, but believe it or not it works!
Step 3: Celebrate Failure! That’s right, celebrate. Think back to a time you thought you failed. Now notice what is everything that has happened in your life since then? Often from failure so many other amazing things open up for us in our lives that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. When you are failing- you ARE winning because you are showing up in your life with purpose and intention every day. Keep it up.
Enjoy the ride my friend and as you are feeling called to more fully unlock your greatness, share your gifts and talents while living joyfully in purpose let me know. Each quarter, I work with a small collective of change agents that are ready to uplevel their impact in this world. If this is you and you want to request information, simply click here to learn more.
Until Next Time… Live Life Optimized!
xx- Dr. Melissa Grill- Petersen
Founder of Healthy Life Hub
