by Heather Robertson
Failure is a good thing!
That’s right, I said it.
Failure. It’s a good thing.
When I go to my Body Pump class, the instructor tells us to push ourselves until we reach muscle failure, only then have we “succeeded” with our workout.
Muscle failure is when you break the muscle down to the point it can no longer contract, and because of this, it gets stronger over time.
In last night’s Half Size Me Community meeting, we discussed why it is that failure within your muscles is seen as a success; however, when it comes to weight loss, careers, or many other aspects of your life you want to avoid failure at all costs?
You are only afraid of failure because of the way you look at it.
Failure is not an ending. It’s a beginning. I failed over and over again at losing weight, but all those failures helped me eventually succeed.
Look at it this way: failures are environmental or behavioral feedback. They’re learning opportunities. Every failure is an opportunity for you to learn what didn’t work. Then, you make any necessary changes and implement those changes to move you toward success.
You probably believe that if you fail to hit your goals you are a failure. Instead, try asking yourself what about this situation failed to get me closer to my goal?
See? The situation itself may have been a failure, but YOU are not.
You may get emotional about failure. However, the best thing you can do is approach it more like a science experiment.
For example, think about the goal you didn’t reach (let’s say it was to lose 2 pounds this week). Then, accept that the goal wasn’t achieved. Ask yourself what happened during the week to cause you to not reach your goal. Write down everything you can think of.
Now, looking through your list, what needs to change? Pick just one or two. Don’t try an change everything at once.
The problem isn’t failing. It’s failing the same way, over and over. You need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and make changes so you break this cycle. It’s great to fail, but you want to be sure you’re always “failing forward.”
Embrace your failed attempts. They make you stronger and more capable. Failure is not fatal. You will push on.
Quitting, in my opinion, is the only real failure.
So, how do you view failure? Do you see it as an obstacle you’ll never get over, or is it simply another stepping stone in your journey? Share your thoughts in the comments!
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Thomas A. Edison (talking about his experiments to create the light bulb)
Here are a few links I shared in last night’s Half Size Me Community meeting. I think you’ll enjoy them!
Secrets for turning failure into success (blog post)
The Brighter Side of Failure (blog post)