To fail forward is, in short, to fail. I know. Fairly obvious, ehh?
It goes a bit deeper than that. Failing forward means that you are heading in the right direction (good news, no?). It means there is hope if you look at it in that way. It is plugging away in spite of being discouraged.
It is staying up late even though there have been no results to show for your effort. It is getting up again, and again, and again. And again. It is refusing to see your current situation as permanent.
True failure comes in these two forms alone.
What failing forward isn’t:
- Quitting – Most people are willing to give only so much. The amount is different for each person. But, they have a predetermined thresh hold of effort that is changed to fit the situation. In other words, they talk a tough show. But, when it comes down to it, they’ll quit at the first excuse they can find. They will buy a product and use it once, and convince themselves that it doesn’t work. They will exercise for 30 minutes and not see results, and quit. They live in denial. In essence they are deciding that their success in this area is not worth the effort.
- Not trying at all – This failure might be the saddest of all. At least the person that quits can summon a bit of comfort knowing they ‘gave it a go.’ This person will not even make an attempt. They also live in denial. They base future history on their past results. Common thoughts and words from this group are: ‘What’s the sense in trying? Don’t you remember what happened last time? I’m not losing my money. I’m going to die anyway.’
There can be no victory if there is no effort.
Failing forward is all about effort. It is about ‘want to.’ If you aren’t willing to try or are looking for an excuse to quit, you need not apply to this exclusive club.
Consider yourself fortunate if you do choose to fail forward. Most won’t. They’ll either quit or not try at all. You, however, are getting a thorough education. But, only if you continue moving forward. Each failure is another degree that you have earned and whether it was time or a monetary loss, it matters not.
Learning is a key.
Another key is implementing your knowledge.
The last key is to be in the group that proudly says, ‘I failed forward.’
Consider yourself in that group, friend. You’re here.
Live it LOUD!
Rob
Please share with some of the readers how you have or are failing forward. What kept you going during that trying time?
Thanks for sharing (ahead of time!). It helps remind us we all face challenges.
Rob, I’m once again inspired by your clear vision and the ability you have to wield words. You have a great talent that I’m certain will take you places. The old saying says, “stick to what you’re good at!” On that note, if you haven’t already, you must listen closely to the song lyrics of the song Hey,Hey,Hey by Michael Franti & Spearhead. Good stuff Rob!!! I thought of you when I first heard it.
Thanks for the inspiration,
SZ
Hey Steve,
You look much better in person:)
Thanks for the encouragement brother, you’re pretty good at wielding yourself.
I’ll give that song a tumble.
Live it LOUD!
The book Failing Forward by John Maxwell is a great book about people overcoming by being persistent and details how some people known for their success has failed time and time again before breaking through to great success.
Thanks Bryan,
I have not read it but will give it a spin.
Thanks for stopping by.
Live it LOUD!
I think the fact that I stuck with creating niche sites and adsense websites – even when I was making pennies (or no money at all) – is an example of failing forward.
I could have thrown in the towel after the first month and gave up.
But persistence pays off.. and learning from some of the things I did wrong, and learning by reading the blogs of others that have succeeded, has really helped me grow and accomplish some of my goals..
I’m glad that I was able to fail to get to the point that I am at today.
Sweet. Thanks Mike.
I think you should have written that post:)
I believe you would say that many times over you were ready to ‘throw in the towel’.
Instead, you refused to lose. The same tools that were (and are) at your disposal, are still available to others.
Persistence though, not so much. We just can’t grasp how close we are to standing on that patch of snow atop the mountain.
So, we turn around and head back down.
How about a snowball fight, Mike?
Live it LOUD!
My mother calls me the merciless tryer. I remind her that I haven’t failed until I am dead. It seems to work well. It is very inspirational to see that I am not the only one in the world who has tried 24/7/365, and not given up even when others have laughed in my face or asked that all important question of “why do you work so hard and sacrifice sleep when nothing ever comes of it”. By nothing, they mean financial, yet we are blessed with abundance and everything that I have learned through failing forward has been able to be passed forward to help at least one other person in my life. For me it is all about making the world a better and more positive place for my children, and their friends to grow up in; so as long as things increase towards our measurement of better, we can never really fail, can we?
Wow Diane,
Powerful and true. Monetary rewards are a barometer, but a small one. Living a life on purpose can be challenging at times.
But, when the head hits the pillow for those few short hours, it feels good. Real good.
And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
Dr. Seuss
Live it LOUD!
Rob