This Magic Monday, we look at failure. What it is and why it’s actually good for us to fail.
Failure is a word no one typically likes to hear. While fear of failure can be motivating, it can also be crippling, preventing us from trying a new approach because we’re comfortable with “tried and true.” But what happens when tried and true isn’t good enough anymore?
“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”
-Thomas Watson Jr.
The world collectively experienced this harsh reality last year when thousands of businesses rapidly adapted to remote work culture. While it still would’ve been far from perfect, imagine how much simpler it could’ve been if those businesses had started taking the leap and exploring remote options earlier?
In her article about Reframing Failure, Businesswoman Sarah Blakely wrote that she grew up with her father asking every day, “What did you fail at today?” Looking back on it, she recognizes this was his way of reframing “failures” – such as falling off a bicycle while learning to ride or not taking a shot on goal – into a method of encouragement for his children to try new things.
“For the Blakely household,” she admits, “not trying new things became the real tragedy.”
Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One,” is famously quoted saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” So ask yourself these questions: How will you branch out this week? What will you fail at today?