Transitions for life, People in Motion


Adding Yang to your Yin - risking failure to achieve success


Next to death and public speaking, failure tops the list of personal fears that most of us carry around. While fear of death may lead us to the gym and fear of public speaking to Toastmasters, fear of failure is much more restrictive. We are not sure what will happen if we fail, but we are convinced it will be painful and well worth avoiding at all cost. So we carefully weigh the risks and ensure that the options we choose avoid failure. Success comes at a steady, predictable rate, with few lows - but few highs. By avoiding failure, we also avoid the other end of the spectrum: experiencing your complete success potential. Rarely is anything significant achieved without a degree of risk. Almost every great moment in history was preceded by a decision to risk failure. Consider your own life and see the role that risk and failure has played prior to each success that you have experienced. Each of us comes with our own internal "risk regulator" when it comes to failure. Look around and you will see individuals all along the risk spectrum. Some risk nothing and live their lives seeking security in the known and predictable. Others succeed and fail with great abandon in a seemingly effortless fashion that we secretly admire but would never choose to emulate. Failure is just nature's way of asking for a plan adjustment. I love this perspective from Carol Jones: "I view failure more as a detour, just like taking a path that led to a place different from where I was wanting to go, but along the way I gained useful information to help me find a path more aligned with my intended destination. Like going to an ice cream store and buying a new flavor, then after taking a few bites realizing that I don't really like that flavor. I never would have known that I didn't like it until after I tried it, and now I don't have to eat it ever again, but what about all the great ice cream flavors I've discovered because I allowed myself to try something new and unknown?" What potential successes are you leaving on life's table in your personal quest to prevent failure? What new flavor is out there for you to experience? There is no need to throw all caution to the wind; just play a little hop-scotch along the risk spectrum and see what awaits you at each place along the way!

Tips for embracing failure:


Ask yourself the following questions: "What would I do differently tomorrow if I knew I could not fail?" "What is the worst possible outcome if I really did this?" "What price do I pay for not doing this?" "Where on the risk spectrum do I need to be to make this happen?" Consciously choose a new place on the risk spectrum for achieving this reward. Accept discomfort as a good signal that you have stepped out of your old comfort zone. Risk steps can be small or large - YOU get to decide! Take three actions that reflect your new position on failure. - ask for something you really want that you don't think you will get - try something new that you have previously avoided - make a new decision on an old choice Take the first step towards achieving the reward defined in #1 Create a new goal to increase your capacity for acceptable risk and enjoy the rewards that come with it! Coaching Challenge Ask yourself what you would attempt to do if you knew you could not fail. Challenge your old thinking on why you have not pursued this, using the tips above. Take one step outside of your comfort zone towards something you want and examine your thoughts and your results. Embrace your possibilities and set yourself up to fail today! You'll be amazed at what you can achieve.		"In order for you to profit from your mistakes, you have to go out and make some." ~ Unknown

Resources


Learn new success habits and behaviors in The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz. Explore your success potential during a free 30-minute consultation with your coach!		Are you ready for more? Get a coach!