A Reality Check For When You Fail

Do you sometimes avoid trying because you are fearful that you will fail? You may view failure as something to avoid at all cost. I want to challenge how you view failure and help you use failure as an opportunity.

You will likely fail a few times before you ultimately reach your goals. To counteract your excuses for giving up, here is a reality check for when you fail.

1. You can’t avoid failure
You have goals in your life that you want to accomplish, whether they involve your career, relationship, finances, hobbies, or other areas important to you. Your goals require hard work and multiple attempts. Expect that you will fail at least once, if not many times. Stop viewing failure as something that is completely unavoidable. If you begin to accept the idea that you will possibly fail, you can view it as a bump in the road not the end of your journey. A bump in the road is temporary, so is failure. 

2. Failure is your opportunity to pivot
What if you looked at failure in a different way? Failure can give you a new opportunity.  If you fail at something then you have a chance to change your approach. Failing gives you the chance to pivot or change direction. Now you can attempt in a different way. Think of failure as a new opportunity, change how you view it, and make it work for you versus against you.

3. You have been through harder times
Failing at a goal can make you feel horrible and down in the dumps. When life gets complicated, it can feel like the walls around you are caving in. If you feel like giving up, remember that you have been through harder times than this. Think about all of the negative and hard times in the past that you have been able to recover from. You have gained experience and strength from your past.

4. You are an extraordinary person; so don’t expect to live an ordinary life.
Do you wonder ‘why me’? Do you feel that you have to work twice as hard as others at your goals? You have been through an enormous amount of hurt, pain, and hardships. You have the ability to feel on a deeper level than others. You know that success is out there, but you have a hard time taking the action to achieve it. You never stop setting goals for yourself. You know what you are capable of and this is what keeps you motivated. Don’t expect to be an extraordinary person and have an ordinary life. Being the extraordinary person you are is a gift, not a curse. 

How do you handle failure?
Everyone handles failure differently, but I challenge you to look at failure as a new opportunity, and not the end of your journey to reach your goals. How do you handle failure? Do you often give up on your goals or do you work to stay motivated to keeping going? Feel free to share any that you think would be helpful for others to know in the comment section below.