Oftentimes, we hear people telling us to not give up, but what is even causing us to give up? One of the main reasons why people quit their goals is they fear failures and making mistakes. When I was little, I was a big fan of soccer… well not really. In elementary school, I played for a club and my position was a midfielder. On the field, I would avoid any contact and action because I fear that I would get yelled at if I didn’t do what the coach says. Looking back at it years later, I realized that I was mentally weak and incapable of taking any criticism, which negatively impacted the outcome of my performance. I know a lot of people have the same struggle as me, so allow me to share a few tips that will help you better embrace failure.
1. You are bound to make mistakes.
No one is perfect, and it’s common to make mistakes. Using my favorite athlete Kobe Bryant as an example, he had arguably one of the best basketball careers, business success, and family one could ever have. However, in July, 2003, Bryant was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old employee at a hotel he was staying at in Colorado. Even though Bryant eventually settled with the victim out of court, this incident still left a dark mark on his career. Instead of feeling defeated, he put all of his energy on training harder and becoming a better player, husband, and father. He is a perfect example of how everyone makes mistakes in life, and how accepting your failure is a great first step to fix your mistakes.
2. Reflect on your mistakes.
There are so many things you can learn from your mistakes. Let me just name a few:
Failure Builds Resilience - Experiencing failure helps build resilience and strengthens our ability to overcome challenges.
Failure Sparks Creativity - Failure can lead to new insights and ideas that can be used to develop better strategies for success.
Failure Provides Valuable Lessons - Learning from failure can provide valuable lessons that can be applied in future endeavors.
3. Focus on the overall goal.
Your mistakes shouldn’t hinder you from achieving your overall goals. It is important that when we encounter failures, we keep a positive attitude and focus on the lessons learned from failure rather than dwelling on the negative emotions. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but having this mindset will help you focus on what’s really important and not feel defeated over a small mistake.
I have personally applied these methods in my daily life whether it’s at school, home, or work, and I can confidently say that they are effective. Ever since I started following these principles, I realized that I don’t fear failures anymore, but instead I learned to embrace my mistakes and reflect on what I could do better for future events. I highly encourage you to try these methods if you haven’t already. If I can do it, so can you!