How to Deal With Failure

One of the most important things you need to know about success is how to manage failure. As paradoxical (If something is paradoxical, it involves two facts or qualities which seem to contradict each other) as it may sound, how you deal with failure is one of the best indicators of your chances of achieving success. Now let’s be frank – dealing with failure is not easy. It is hard to accept failure. It hurts your pride. It does not feel good to fail. Yet, in order to achieve success your must not only be comfortable with failure, you must actually embrace it.

Have you ever seen someone who is hanging on to a failure and simply will not let go of it? It is very sad scenery. People that have a hard time dealing with failure tend to go in total denial about their failures. They ignore all the signs that are telling them they are at a dead end and they tend to dig themselves into a deeper and deeper hole. They spin and rationalize everything. The have a million reasons, or as some would call it, excuses, as to why they are in the situation they are in. They will spend countless hours justifying it, renaming it, redefining, it. They will do everything but the one and only right thing to do when faced with failure – embrace it.

When faced with failure, the most important thing you need to do first is recognize it and admit that you failed. If you can get past this one simple, but incredibly difficult hurdle, you will then be in a great position to do the second most important thing you need to do when you fail – learn from your mistakes. If you are truly committed to success, absorb and live by these words:

Failure is nothing but nature’s way of telling you that the way you went about it was not the right way.

Do you have strong failure management skills? The questions below will help test your ability to manage failure and achieve success:

Do You Share Your Mistakes with Others?

If you are afraid of sharing your mistakes with others, that is a good indication that you are not comfortable with failure. Make it a habit to share your mistakes with others. Be comfortable with your mistakes and failures to the point where talking about them does not bother you anymore.

Do You Only Do Things You Know Will Succeed?

If you hear someone say “I never failed” – watch out. This is a strong indicator that this person has never really experienced success because they so narrowly define the boundaries of what they are willing to try that they never get past mediocrity.

Are You Very Conscious of Your Mistakes?

When you do something wrong, if you become overly conscious of your mistake you will limit your ability to achieve success. It is very important that you not spend too much time thinking about past mistakes. Learn from them and move on. Do not let past mistakes prevent you from achieving future success.

Do You Think Failure is Shameful?

If you do, you need to get past this way of thinking. There is absolutely nothing shameful about failure. Failure is simply the result of an experiment. Failure is a powerful lesson of what not to do in the future. Failure is the best way to get to success.

Do you get the true meaning of what this article is trying to tell you? I hope you do. I hope you embrace failure. I hope you fail hard. I hope you fail often. The quicker you embrace failure, the quicker you will achieve success.