Failure. It’s a word synonymous with inadequacy for many young professionals and a realization that can derail even the most strategic business minds. It’s not all bad, of course, because failure is also a key component of learning. Here are five reasons to bask in the face of defeat…
It means you stepped out of your comfort zone
Never failing likely means that you’re stuck in a monotonous work cycle without challenges or stimulation. Failure at something is an indication that you’re perhaps not seasoned at that task, that it requires more work, a more efficient approach, or that there’s room for improvement – all positives in terms of personal development. Let us reference a famous misquote of Alfred Lord Tennyson for a moment: “It is better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all.”
Failure breeds admirable character traits
When we get a second opinion on some of the entrepreneurs we feature, two of the most common aspects of their personality that resonate with their employees are humility and humbleness. For all the great traits developed through bouts of success, there are equally admirable facets of yourself that manifest through the trials and tribulations of not quite making it – yet. You’ll also learn to not take things personally and tackle your next venture with a warmer, yet sharper, frame of mind.
Defeat spawns innovation
If something doesn’t work, obviously a new approach is required. The key is to not revert back to what made you fail in the first place, or to settle in to the status quo for fear of failing again. This is your chance to shake things up and really challenge the issue at hand with an innovative MO.
New doors open
Perhaps your situation represents absolute failure – nothing to learn from it, no innovation to fix it. It happens; people wander down dead-end paths all the time. But imagine if you never reached that dead-end…you’d drag on and on without ever really breaking that vicious cycle of getting too comfortable. Once you’ve achieved a level of certainty that this particular defeat is ultimate, you can start to refocus on a different, (hopefully) more prosperous goal.