How To Learn From Failure

Woman in Gray Sweater Smiling
Photo by Liza Summer

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We all make mistakes. When you make a mistake, don’t beat yourself up for making it. Mistake is part of growth. Mistake is part of success. Mistake is part of life. Mistake is not a weakness; it is a strength. When you make yours, it means you are trying to make things happen. Do not let failure stop you from growing. Because if you don’t make enough mistakes, you won’t grow. Be bold. Don’t be afraid to learn about what you don’t know. Knowledge is never enough. Remember that we learn more from failure than from success. When you fail, try to learn everything that you possibly can about the situation. Ask yourself some critical questions. Ask yourself, what could I have done differently? Be honest with yourself when you are answering it. Do not hide anything from yourself. You want to live, to grow, right? If yes, hiding something important from yourself is not the right way to go. When you do that, you are pulling yourself backward. You are not pushing yourself forward. To grow, you need yourself. Don’t wait for people to come and push you. If you can, push yourself. If not, ask for help. And celebrate it when you get it. Be grateful. Say, “Thanks.”

When you make a mistake, do not hide it. Let your trusted friends know what happened. You can’t change what happened, but you can rewrite the story. You can recreate the situation. You can reinvent yourself. Don’t forget to ask yourself, “What can I take away from here?” Don’t attend any pity party. It won’t help you. It will hurt you even more. Just try to see it as a way to learn more about yourself. Make sure you really learn from your mistakes. Do not take it for granted. Because if you don’t learn from it, you will repeat it again. When you learn from your mistakes, it makes you stronger, not weaker. Be brave. Keep going. Learn from it. Make it a habit to always learn from your failures. If it doesn’t work, do it again.

Why You Fear Failure

Young slender female in black bra standing with closed eyes covering face with hand
Photo by Anete Lusina

No one likes to fail. You are not alone. But failure is part of life. Whether you like it or not, you are going to fail. It is going to get worse before it gets better. There is no overnight success. You are not going to master your work overnight. If you want to grow, if you want to conquer your fears, don’t rush the process. Because it takes time to learn something. Don’t expect things to turn out right the first time. It is not going to happen. If you expect it to work out for you the first time, believe me, that is a losing strategy. It won’t work. Just give yourself time to do your thing. Things are not always going to work out perfectly the first time. Instead of beating yourself up for not completing your work, why not give yourself credit for even trying it. Respect failure. Respect the process. Because everything takes time to do, especially when you are doing it for the first time. If you want to change your life, from now on, you must change your meaning of failure. Failure is not failure. It is a way forward. Because you cannot grow without failure. That is what separates the successful ones from the rest of us. They are not afraid of failure. You shouldn’t be afraid of failure. Do not fear it. Use failure to move yourself forward in your life. When you fail, live it. When you fail, ask for help. Do not be scared to ask for help. Celebrate it when you get it. Help is healthy. It is life. When you make mistakes, fix them. Own them. Do not blame anyone for your mistakes. Instead of blaming other people for your own error, celebrate yourself for knowing what you don’t know.