The Influence of Mistakes
In the trenches
Rise and shine 6er,
In our youth, we are taught that mistakes and failures are a bad thing, and that we should avoid them. As a result, it is viewed negatively by the majority of people, despite the fact that it is a necessary component of success. In both business and personal life, it's natural to want to avoid making mistakes. It's painful and humiliating at times. Perfection, on the other hand, is an impossible task. If we want to turn our failures into successes, we need to face our mistakes head-on as often as possible.
At some point, everyone who is making progress will have to make a mistake. It's possible that some of our missteps will lead us to brilliant decisions that will help us turn our situation around, regardless of how long they take or how short they are.
Admitting and learning from failures necessitates a certain amount of acceptance and self-confidence because the experience can be excruciating. You are not working on difficult problems if you don't make any mistakes, and that is a sad truth. You're afraid of discomfort, so you don't push yourself past your comfort zone.
We must alter our attitude toward failure if we are to succeed. To succeed in the future, we must be willing to learn from our mistakes. The fear of failure discourages us from experimenting with new ideas that might actually work if we are also willing to change. Changes in perspective are sometimes all that's required for success. The saying goes, "Victory is sweetest when you've had a taste of defeat," and it's true.
Let’s make it happen!
The INSUM
Intelligence summary of insights from this week’s podcast
Set your sights on a higher goal instead of aiming for things you know you can't miss. To get the most out of life, you need to put yourself out there, take risks, and give it your all. Because they are constantly striving for more, successful and happy people experience many setbacks.
The education you get from learning from your mistakes makes you more valuable. The valuable lessons from learning the hard way can make you more confident in your abilities too.
This week, I am joined by my friend, Frankie Margotta, a USSOCOM veteran and a current brand strategist at Siegel+Gale.
Every now and then, challenge yourself to do something you've never done before. Frankie gives us three practical tips on how to turn failure into a teaching opportunity by flipping the narrative.
1. Articulate your strategy in a compelling way and make it actionable.
With so much going on around you, it's important to have a North Star to point you in the right direction. You can use storytelling as a guidepost when making difficult decisions, just like in brand marketing.
If you don't know what your goal is, it's impossible to achieve it. By stating your goals and the path you intend to take to get there, you are effectively communicating your core values and increasing your chances of attracting the right opportunities.
2. Bet on yourself and trust your intuition.
In order to achieve the goals you set for yourself, you must first create a vision for it. No one else cares as much about it as you do. No one else will be more willing to put in the time and effort you will, so put your faith in yourself and follow through on your promise to yourself.
When things go wrong, it's a good idea to learn to trust your own instincts. Trying to get external validation by betraying your intuition is a waste of time and energy. You won't be able to build your self-esteem this way.
3. Tenacity is great but accept defeat graciously when it’s time.
I get it. You're a self-starter who never gives up. The danger of stubbornness is that it can lead to the denial of reality, which is dangerous. If you don't know how to keep your head down and graciously accept defeat, you'll miss out on some great lessons in life.
Learn from your mistakes. You don't have to be perfect all the time; you just have to learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.
In order to succeed, you must deliberately swim against the current, take bold risks, and accept failure as a part of the process. The learning curves are steep, but if you stick with it, you'll not only progress, but you'll also improve your abilities.
When you learn to look at failure as a training ground for success, you not only relieve yourself of unnecessary stress but you also gain a better understanding of your own limitations. Eventually, the strength of purpose and experience you gain from failure can help you achieve your goals.
Be there for your battle buddy right now and share this newsletter with them to let go of the negative feelings they have about their failures and instead learn to embrace it as an opportunity to learn and grow.