Fail forward.

One of the purposes of these essays is to convey universal thoughts and ideas.  Truisms that, if applied to life, would reap benefits or limit the possibility of disappointment and failure.  Which brings up the idea of failure as a consequence of action.  There’s no guarantee that you’ll be successful at anything.  If success were guaranteed, you would feel less, if any, accomplishment or gratitude for the effort.  There is a correlation between the level of effort toward a goal and the feeling of achievement when reached.  The pressure that provides this dynamic is the ever-present possibility that failure is an option.

Why failure is difficult.

There’s no point in suggesting that failure is never a desired outcome.  Failing at something we’ve wanted and worked hard to achieve is incredibly disappointing and questions everything from our belief systems to our abilities to accomplish what’s most important to us.  It can create depression, doubt and nurture insecurities and how others view us and our capabilities.  However, these thoughts and feelings are all manifested inside our minds.  They may be valid, temporarily, but remaining fixated on the negative aspects of failure prevents us from harvesting the lessons that presented themselves throughout the effort.

The difference between success and failure is the perspective you bring to the experience.  You can gain valuable insights from both, but learning from failure is a catalyst that supports evolution.  Failure is permanent only if you decide not to try a second, third, or as many times as required to accomplish your goal.  With each attempt, you’re provided feedback on what worked and what didn’t.  You have answers to your internal beliefs on what was accurate and what wasn’t.  Experience is a great educator and has provided irreplaceable lessons you can leverage for the next attempt.  With each adjustment, you embark on a new path.  Success still isn’t guaranteed, but you have new knowledge and an attitude that you will gain a net positive result no matter the outcome. 

Preparation of the knowns and unknowns.

Shifting your mindset this way isn’t easy, but it is straightforward.  It requires a shift in focus on what’s truly important and what you have direct control over.  You rarely have control over the ultimate outcome.  There will be factors outside of your control that influence progress and distract from the vision previously set.  You can call this luck, or bad luck, depending on the experience.  Either way, it’s best to be prepared for these eventualities and know how to respond when they arrive.

The idea of luck can be boiled down to preparing for the unknown.  Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don’t.  No successful person achieves anything through luck alone.  A capable person is prepared to take advantage of good luck just as much as they are prepared to deal with bad luck.  Anticipating the possibility of either is essential for progress and is something you have influence and control over.

Perspective is key.

You may not have the knowledge or experience to prepare for every possible outcome, but you have insights into what unique obstacles may hinder your improvement. For example, if you’re prone to procrastination, it would be wise to take steps to limit the number of distractions in your day-to-day life.  Another strategy within your sphere of control is figuring out the best time to create and brainstorm ideas.  Writing out a pre-mortem, the actions, thoughts, and behaviors that will prevent you from achieving your goal, is a tactic to expose the ingredients of failure before they happen.  In doing so, you can shine a light on what might be if you’re not diligent in preventing it.

Preparing for luck is something that doesn’t require a detailed game plan.  You shouldn’t expect it to happen, but you must be ready for when it does.  Luck usually takes the form of an opportunity you feel unprepared for.  The unexpectedness creates a feeling of, “am I ready for this?” so we question it and allow our fears and doubts to boil up.  But remember, luck is created from our consistent and purposeful actions when working toward a goal.  When we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, luck finds a way to push us further in the direction we want.  Hard work is rewarded, but we won’t always know when that reward will come.

The push-pull of challenging goals.

Reaching for heights slightly beyond our current beliefs and skill levels creates the right amount of motivation required for action.  There’s an inherent fear that maybe we can’t reach our destination, and at the same time, we know we can, even if it’s something we’ve never done.  This back-and-forth provides the mental fuel for personal insights, problem-solving, and accomplishment.  Failure is a temporary condition based on your current limited knowledge or effort and immediately provides the clues needed for progress.  Nurture this belief and reap the insights.  What once was a failure is now an experience and discovery of answers to continue your journey forward.