Fail forward, fail fast and frequently this is the path to success

Failure is unacceptable today. We, as a society, teach children that “everyone is a winner” and give participation awards for not winning. Problems arise when we are insulated from failing, prevented from experiencing failure. We miss out on valuable lessons that have the potential to strengthen us, making us more resilient! 

There are old teachings that didn’t get passed down, replaced with video games that give instant gratification, a false sense of winning. We have a generation that never learned the old sayings, nursery rhymes, and stories that contained within essential lessons.  

Many of our grandparents tried to impart a wisdom that is on the verge of extinction, having to be deemed unworthy based today’s “enlightened society”. 

I want to focus on the importance of failure, what to do with it, and how failure can make you better!

Both the United States’ special operators and high-level business leaders embrace failure. Failure is the path to success, but failing alone is only half the picture. You must own the failure, after all you earned it! Objectively identify your failure, analyse why you failed and what steps to take as to not make the same mistakes. This is failing forward, do not quit!!

To have meaningful failures, you must move quickly, be willing to fail fast, and fail frequently. Failure paves the path to success. In the end, your success will outshine all the failures. This is your big win!

When I was young, my grandmother would say, “If at once you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Originated from the song/lyrics:

‘Tis a lesson you should heed–
Try again;
If at first you don’t succeed,
Try again.
Then your courage should appear;
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear,
Try again.

Once or twice though you should fail,
If you would at last prevail,
Try again.
If we strive, ‘tis no disgrace
Though we did not win the race–
What should you do in that case?
Try again.

If you find your task is hard.
Try again;
Time will bring you your reward,
Try again;
All that other folk can do,
Why with patience should not you?
Only keep this rule in view,
Try again.

-Edward Hickson

What my grandmother would simply say, “Try, try, try again; If at first you don’t succeed, try again.” the lesson she convey’d to me was a simple, yet hard a lesson to learn. Failure is an option, expected it. Accept that I would fail more times than I will succeed! Failure teaches you to persevere, conquer, not to fear. There is no disgrace in failing if you learn from it.