5 lessons to learn from mistakes and failure

 5 lessons to learn from mistakes and failure

Change your mindset about failure. Nobody learns the hard lessons in life without some element of failure and "Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm,"

In our society "To fail" is seen as taboo or even sacrilege. The mindset that to fail is like someone who committed a crime often leads most of us into inaction. Being too conservative so that we will not make mistakes or fail. The fear of failure is a trap that makes us remain stagnant, lost of enthusiasm and courage. It is not supposed to be so. 

The healthier attitude is to see failure as a lesson and road to success. If we can learn from our failures and try again and again. We will get better at what we are doing. 

Albert Einstein understand this as he said " you never fail until you stop trying"

This quote has influenced my thinking and perspective about failure. It is those that keep on trying that become successful and not those who can only pick mistakes in what other people are doing. They are not willing to do anything. In this article, we are going to explore the lessons we can learn from mistakes and failures.

Table of content

1. Failure is an element of creativity

2. Reframing failure 

3. Persistence breaks any resistance 

4. Ask the right questions 

5. Focus on the positivity

Failure Is An Element Of Creativity

Any Creative accomplishment evolves out of lessons learned from a long succession of mistakes. Failure is a critical element of effective learning, teaching, creativity and solving problems. when we fail something our mind directs our attention in productive ways by forcing us to focus on the cause and solution to the problem.

Viewing failure as an opportunity for learning requires a growth mindset. By highlighting effort as the goal and panacea to succeed. Once you make mistakes or fail, you have to recognize it, ask how you can get it right and put effort to get it right. Note, "It is ok to make mistakes, mistakes mean you are trying."

Microsoft was created after the inventors failed in a project called Traf-O-Data in the 1970s,  a company that efficiently analyzes automobile traffic data collected from pneumatic road tube counters.

Reframing Failure 

Teachers need to embrace the power of failure by consciously inspiring students to learn the productive potential of making mistakes as important steps toward understanding any topic. 

To always cognitively interpret failure as part of the process to get the right answer.  When Edison was asked how he felt about his countless failed attempts at making a light bulb, he replied, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.

Persistence Breaks any Resistance

When you face a challenge, you should embrace the possibility of failing or making mistakes. Prepare to fail nine times, but on the tenth attempt, you will make significant progress. This attitude frees you and allows you to think creatively without fear of failure. Because fear is the only thing that stops us from doing something meaningful. 

Understand that learning from failure is a step towards success. It requires patience, you can't understand patience when you're the one asking for it. You can only understand it when you're the one who has to provide it. Take risks and when you fail don't be frustrated, extract the new insight, and learn from it. To fail with a comeback spirit will take you higher on the learning curve. 

Each time you try to correct your mistake you are 10℅ better.

"I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and miss. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."— Michael Jordan

 Ask The Right Questions 

This is the positive potential of failure, you have to recognize your mistake and exploit it.

Try your best to get it right, and when you fail, isolate the specific area and ask how to get the right answer. Analyze the specific mistake to understand the reason it's wrong and  Deliberately work on your mistake. Take note of the new insight that leads to the right answer.

The mistake is not the problem but how you interpret the lesson is important. When I  make a mistake I try to make a better attempt and ask whether the mistake is a correct answer to a different question. 

Focus On The Positivity 

Every day has its merits and demerits. Bad days happen to everyone, how we react and interpret it is essential. Bad days often show clear lessons about how to grow, strive and learn. So the next time you're having a bad day, make a conscious effort to extract the positive lessons from those experiences.

You don't need to make all the mistakes, you can learn from other people's mistakes.

Conclusion 

Failure and mistakes are not signs of weakness when you stand on your feet and keep trying to get it right. instead, they are opportunities for future success. Failure is a sign of a creative mind. A person who is willing to fail is someone willing to go outside their comfort zone. Failing is progress; when you persist in getting it right. Read the article and become anti-fragile in any situation.