< Go Back No Failure, Only Feedback Posted: Sep 23, 2015 "The
greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will
make one." ~ Elbert Hubbard
When an
activity or idea doesn't produce the outcome we want, or expect, it's usual to
describe the result as a mistake or a failure. How we react to this depends on how we
perceive failure; whether we are motivated to move away from it, or whether we
find the whole process so difficult to deal with that we become paralysed by
it. Failure drives some people forwards
in search of success but many others simply give up because they cannot cope
with the idea of making more mistakes and failing yet again.
So, if we
aren't motivated by them, is there anything we can do about those horribly
negative words 'mistake' and 'failure'?
Yes there is! One method used by successful people is to
simply delete them both from their mental dictionary and replace them with the
more useful (and less emotional) words 'outcome' and 'feedback'. Now, any result that is not wanted or
expected is no longer a mistake or failure but merely an outcome that produces
feedback and information that can be used to move towards a desired
result. This method can be summed up in
the statement: "there is no failure, only feedback". Once you adopt this philosophy nothing is
wrong or negative; adverse results are simply different from what was
anticipated and can provide valuable opportunities for learning and growth.
Next time
your outcomes aren't what you wanted or expected, look for the positive
learning opportunities they provide and use this feedback to change what you
are doing until you create the outcomes you do desire.