How to Fail (And Why It’s the Best Thing That Can Happen to You)
How to Fail (And Why It’s the Best Thing That Can Happen to You)
Failure is inevitable. It’s frustrating, humbling, and sometimes even devastating—but it’s also one of the most important ingredients for success. If you’re serious about achieving greatness, you need to know how to fail, how to embrace it, and most importantly, how to bounce back quickly. It is not that I want you to fail. I just know it is part of the Quest to Success.
Failure Is a Prerequisite for Success
It’s easy to look at successful people and assume they had a smooth ride to the top. But the truth? Almost every great success story is built on a foundation of repeated failures. Here are a few examples of world-changing individuals who failed spectacularly before they succeeded:
- Thomas Edison: The inventor of the lightbulb reportedly failed over 10,000 times before making it work. His perspective? “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
- Walt Disney: He was fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination” and faced multiple business failures before launching Disneyland.
- Oprah Winfrey: She was told she was “unfit for television” early in her career. Today, she’s one of the most influential media moguls in history.
- Michael Jordan: Cut from his high school basketball team, he later became one of the greatest athletes of all time. His take? “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
- Steve Jobs: Fired from his own company, Apple, he returned years later to revolutionize the tech industry.
If these legends had given up after failing, we wouldn’t have the innovations, entertainment, or inspiration they provided. Their secret? They didn’t dwell on failure—they learned, adjusted, and came back stronger.
How to Fail the Right Way
Since failure is unavoidable, the key is to fail the right way. That means:
- Own It – Take full responsibility for what went wrong. Blaming external circumstances or other people won’t help you grow.
- Analyze It – Figure out why you failed. Did you lack preparation? Did you overlook key details? Self-reflection is crucial.
- Adjust Your Approach – Failure only becomes a true failure if you don’t learn from it. What can you do differently next time?
- Detach Emotionally – Failure stings, but don’t let it consume you. Treat it as data, not a personal indictment of your worth.
- Try Again—Fast – The quicker you get back in the game, the less power failure has over you. The biggest mistake people make is staying down too long.
How to Get Over Failure Fast
Dwelling on failure can destroy momentum, so you need strategies to move past it quickly. Here’s how:
- Reframe the Experience – Stop seeing failure as an ending. Instead, view it as a stepping stone.
- Surround Yourself with Winners – You become like the people you spend time with. Hang around those who encourage resilience and success.
- Take Immediate Action – Even small steps toward a new goal can help shift your mindset from defeat to determination.
- Practice Self-Compassion – Being too hard on yourself keeps you stuck. Forgive yourself, learn, and move on.
- Keep Your Vision in Mind – Remind yourself why you’re chasing your goals in the first place. A strong purpose makes setbacks seem small.
Failure Is a Mindset Game
At the core of bouncing back from failure is your mindset. If you believe failure is a sign you’re not good enough, you’ll quit. If you believe it’s a lesson, you’ll get better.
This is exactly why I wrote Change Your Mindset, Change Your Destiny (available on Amazon). The book dives deep into how shifting your perspective can change everything—including how you handle failure.
The difference between winners and losers isn’t talent. It’s the ability to keep moving forward when things go wrong.
Fail Faster, Win Sooner
If you want to succeed at anything—business, relationships, personal growth—you need to be willing to fail a lot. The faster you fail, the faster you learn, and the faster you ultimately win.
So go ahead, fail. Fail big. Fail often. And then pick yourself up, adjust, and keep going. Your success story is waiting.
