We want to lose thirty pounds in four weeks, we want to achieve a revenue of one million pounds in one year, we want to work three hours a week and earn triple of what we earn right now.
Whilst this is definitely achievable and desirable, the emphasis on speed and small investment, whether that is time, money or both misses out a major component of any success - the process.
In our desire for quickness we miss out the invaluable lessons taught by the process of getting to exactly where we want to be. We often miss the lessons that teach us infinitely more than achieving an actual goal does - because achieving a goal is what we want, not necessarily what we need. Often, working towards a goal gifts us with many set backs. These set backs are lessons to apply to our current as well as any future goals that we have planned - they are a learning material, not an indicator that you should start a new goal.
There is a complex with failure - we want to win and only win. Anything that doesn't go exactly the way that we want it to is a sign that we are destined for bad luck and unworthiness.
Wrong.
Failure is a springboard to the upper echelon of development, it is in many regards - a black box. Something that can be unpacked, analysed and identified as a way of improving yourself and your skillsets. People often say that 'this isn't working' - they're right. But instead of attempting to understand why X isn't working ,they accept that an idea/concept/business doesn't work at face value and leave it behind in a pile of other 'failed' ideas when these 'failures' could have been used as stepping stones to more sophisticated or successful ideas.
The process of working towards a goal gifts us with many small failures as well as many large failures - what you choose to do with these is ultimately your decision. I will say this though. The moment that you begin to accept your failures as a growth opportunity as opposed to a personal attack on your abilities and aptitude then you will seek failures more often. Almost everybody you look up to has failed, hundreds if not thousands of times. They are great not because they are perfect, but because they have opened themselves up to failure and the learning experiences that come with it.
Enjoy the process, take your time. You never know what you may learn.
This article was inspired by the work of Matthew Syed. His book 'Black Box Thinking' is a wonderful insight into different industries and individuals who use failure to spark creative breakthroughs. He also delves into industries whose ethos tries to supress failure. You will be surprised in regards to what you find.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope that it helps you in some way. I would love to connect with you on social media. You can find my pages below:
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I also write for Rife Magazine - to read my content on there, please click here.
I am a young advisor to Off The Record Bristol, a young persons confidential mental health service dedicated to helping young people through a multitude of treatments and services. You can find out more about them here.
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