Failure is a part of life. It’s important that we recognize that one failure doesn’t equal the end of the world. This concept is probably a very obvious one, but one that we tend to forget about as we inevitably encounter a failure.
The good thing is, if you have failed at something, and have a strong reaction (see Eli Manning above), you are likely someone who takes pride in what you do. You want to do well, and you strive to do well on a regular basis. That in and of itself is commendable, but naturally you will fail from time to time.
The best thing you can do is learn from your mistakes. That is, figure out where you went wrong, and make dam sure you can’t go wrong in that same fashion again. As you go through your week, note opportunities for improvement, in work, and in your personal life. At the end of each day, think about how the day went. What went wrong, and how can you improve? What went well, and how can you make sure to do it well, every single time. I’m realistic, you can’t do that every day, but make an effort to do it a few times this week.
Lastly, understand that even the best people fall short. In sports, athletes fail in the national spotlight, as do politicians, and entertainers. They are people who, in some cases, make a lot more money than we do and are deemed “smarter” or more “successful” than we are. That is debatable I’m sure, but the point is that even they have failures and society understands that. In many cases, we root for that person to succeed (just like the friends and family in your corner). You are not judged solely by the failure. You are judged on how you handle your failure (as well as your successes).
So, if you are dealing with something right now, and you’re down on yourself because you screwed up….you can let it go…RIGHT NOW! You can’t change yesterday, you can only influence the moments after this one. And I don’t mean look like you let it go…by pretending it’s all gone and smiling like you’ve moved on, but still letting it eat at your insides. I mean, really move on. Accept it, learn from it, and start living in the now again. That’s your goal for this week. Welcome back to the future. Until next time.
Train of Thought 