As a society we are constantly told to do better, be better, strive for more. Failure is seen as a weakness and something not to be mentioned in conversation. Even the small, trivial things that don’t matter in the long run suddenly become a sticking point on the road to success. We hate it when things don’t go right.
But, failure is an option in life, and in fact, makes us better people for it. Why?
Everyone, at some point in their lives, are going to fail at something. No one is good at something when it’s their first attempt, even those who are now at the top of their game. Steve Jobs is a prime example of someone who failed, multiple times, but then went on to work for one of the world’s most influential companies, because he wanted to succeed. He wouldn’t have got to where he was without some failures along the way.
It teaches you the art of perseverance. A lot of young people struggle with this concept as they want immediate gratification with whatever they are doing. Perseverance is character building; it teaches you to not give up at the first hurdle but to try and try again, until you get something right. It’s a bit like learning to ride a bike without stabilisers; everyone crashes more than once, but slowly you get the hang of balancing on two wheels and then the fun begins!
Fear of failure can also hold you back from reaching your full potential. It stops you taking risks and can stop you from new opportunities that arise. I’m guilty of this; I still haven’t begun investing as I’m worried I’m going to fail and lose our money. But, we’re not going to reach financial independence without me taking the plunge at some point.
Failure makes you stronger and you learn more from failing. Some people when they fail, give up automatically and never reach their goals. You learn more when you fail and try again, then you would if you succeeded in everything. It makes you do a better job, because you had to work harder to succeed. It makes you be stronger, as you need to push yourself to get things right. Being stronger is a good thing!
People who succeed regularly become complacent. They coast through life, without any real hardship or striving to better. Once you’re in this mindset, it’s quite a dangerous place to be. Without you realising, someone just beneath you could make themselves better than you, because they want to be better, and they have been working harder because life doesn’t come so easy. They appreciate the success because they’ve earned.
Finally, when you do succeed, sometimes after multiple failures, it makes that success all the more rewarding. You know you’ve put in so much effort, so when you finally succeed, it’s a big accomplishment and you can be really proud of yourself. It’s a pretty good feeling!
Do you agree? What’s the one thing that’s holding you back? I’d love to hear from you!
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Rishi Arora says
Enjoyable and interesting post. When you get knocked down, the most important thing is how you react to that… and bouncing back twice as strong… pushing fear to the back of your mind is key…
Nicola says
Bouncing back twice as strong is definitely a key to success 🙂
Petrish @ Debt Free Martini says
I agree that failure can make you a better person. I look back in my life and I am now thankful for what I have learned from my mistakes and failures. My hope is to just pass them on to my daughter so that she can make better decisions.
Nicola says
Same here – I’ve learnt a lot from past mistakes that make me a better person.
Emily @ Simple Cheap Mom says
I wish I failed more. Failing means that I’ve found something that’s really challenging for me!
Nicola says
In some ways you’re lucky you have succeeded many times, but then it’s harder to accept when you do fail.
Even Steven says
Let’s just say I agree with this one, had some similar thoughts on the topic today, great minds right!?
Nicola says
Definitely! 😀
Kara @ The Daily Whisk says
As tough a pill as it is to swallow, I do think failure can teach us a lot and make us stronger in the end!