I recently talked with someone who, in his words, “messed up big time.” He made a huge mistake. He experienced considerable failure. Well, failure is something everyone experiences to some degree. Everyone. That’s why I believe Principle Four in “A Strategy For Winning” is so valuable. It is Build On Failure. Failure often changes the courses of our lives. But the change doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative change, even though it is based on a negative event. As I say on my web site:
“There’s a big difference between temporary failure and total defeat, and many of our successes are built on what we learn from our failures. Yet, some people believe that if first they don’t succeed, it ‘just wasn’t meant to be.’ That’s not how winners think. When winners get knocked down, they get back up and try again – and again – until they succeed. If not in one way, then in another. If not in one area, then in another. All successful people have experienced failure, learned from it, and grown stronger.”
When we do experience temporary failure, there are three steps we can go through to help correct and build on the failure. The first step is to be Receptive. This means face up to your failure. Don’t make excuses. Don’t blame others. Maybe someone else did have something to do with it. That’s possible. But, in the end, you must accept personal responsibility for any failure in which you are involved.
The second step is to be Resourceful. Common dictionary definitions of resource include: the means available to achieve an end; a supply that can be drawn on; skill; available assets; abilities.” Being resourceful means taking things where they are and making the most of them with what you have. To be resourceful when failure comes, you must take a long, lingering look at yourself. In order to build on failure, we need to develop better self-knowledge.
The third step is to be Resurgent. This means to rise again, to get back up when you’ve been knocked down. Accomplishment after accomplishment has been built on failure. Being down but not out is one of the greatest attributes one can possess. To be resurgent, you must not feel sorry for yourself or engage in a lifelong pity party. It’s okay to feel down for a short while and shed some tears. That’s normal. But there is no reason to remain down. There comes a time to shake it off, shoulder responsibility, call upon your assets, and rise again.
The closing affirmation includes the words: “I will forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. The pursuit of excellence is my challenge, and my challenge begins today as I prepare to set higher goals and climb higher mountains. I am thankful for life, for opportunities, for the ability to learn from mistakes, and for the privilege to pursue excellence in all I do.”
I think the message of Build On Failure is extremely important to all of us who have tasted failure.
Carl Mays, author of over a dozen books and speaker at over 2500 events, can be contacted at carlmays@carlmays.com or 865-436-7478. His books, including “A Strategy For Winning,” “People of Passion,” “Anatomy Of A Leader” and “Are We Communicating Yet?” are available in stores, at www.carlmays.com, and on www.amazon.com.
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