Failing Better: The Surprising Benefits of Getting It Wrong
Failure. While most people cringe and hope that it’s not about to strike, the truth is thatfailure can be your biggest opportunity.
Just as Einstein famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,” we know the truth about failure — it’s all about perspective. After all, Einstein didn’t view his missteps as failures but rather as progress. It was simply a matter of ruling out what didn’t work in order to hone in on what did.
Related reading: Three Leaders Who Refused to be Defined by Their Setbacks
Related reading: Sherrie Storor – Harnessing “Failure” as a Catalyst for Real Estate Greatness
Accidental Heros
It was 1928 when Dr. Alexander Fleming failed his experiment — he left a petri dish of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria out in his lab for two weeks while he was away. He was probably upset with himself for making such a dumb mistake…until he realized that the growth of this bacteria had been prevented by a mold called Penicillium notatum. From Dr. Flemings’s failure, antibiotics were born, saving millions of lives.
Wilson Greatbatch had a similar experience in 1956 when he was working on building a piece of equipment to record heart sounds. Well, he made a mistake and used the wrong transistor and rather than recording sounds, the device gave off an electrical pulse, nearly identical to that of a beating heart. He had an idea then, and teamed up with a surgeon, William Chardack, and they created the world’s first pacemaker, successfully controlling a dog’s heartbeat, then in 1960, a human’s heartbeat.
These two men failed in what they originally set out to do, but their error led to two critical innovations, allowing them to revolutionize health care in ways nobody had ever considered. Their mistakes made progress.
Related reading: Best life – 35 Accidental Inventions That Dramatically Changed the World
Facing Your Fear of Failure
I’m going to share a little thing about myself – I get a little challenged when people tell me something isn’t going to work or why it’s going to fail. It upsets me a little, but I get it. Anytime you start something new or try something you haven’t done before, there is a fear of failure. The thoughts of “What if it doesn’t work out?” or “What if this ends up being a total waste of time and resources?” or “What if I make a mistake?” or “What if they don’t like me?” or this famous prospecting one, “what if they hang up on me?”
I’m pretty sure we can all relate to these.
Now, rather than embracing those questions, what if, in the spirit of possibility, we turn them around?
- What if, instead of asking, “What if I fail?” try asking, “What if I succeed?”
- What if we change “What if it’s too hard?” to “What if this is the very challenge I need to get better at what I do?”
- How about this doozy? Turn “What if people judge me” into “Who might I inspire with my courage today?”
- Turn “What if I make a mistake” into “What if this mistake is a step towards mastering this skill?”
Reframing your negative thoughts about failing into positive twists creates a breakthrough in your mindset. It shifts your focus from fear and doubt into one of potential and growth. It encourages more positive and proactive approaches to your challenges and uncertainties.
What if each mistake or failure was actually a stepping stone to innovation, a leap towards understanding the mysteries of the universe, or a stride into the unknown? This is where true growth occurs. It’s where we find new solutions, forge unexpected paths, and discover our real strength. So, let’s stop seeing “what ifs” as a barrier and instead let them be the spark that ignites our curiosity, fuels our courage, and drives us to redefine what’s possible.
After all, the most significant breakthroughs and breathtaking adventures have all begun with someone daring to ask a simple “what if” question.
Let that somebody be you this week.
Related reading: Owning Your Fears So They Don’t Own You
Related reading: The Joyful Life – Why Failure Is Good For Us: 12 Reasons To Embrace Your Mistakes
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