Written by David Pereira- HR Manager, Liz Lyn Careers
There is a popular trend on social media that starts with a voice over saying- “And with that the 2022 season comes to an end” followed by a short video montage of the highlights of that person’s life throughout this year played over Coldplay’s famous tune- A sky full of stars.
Pretty cool right? These videos however only showcase the good times, the highlights, the achievements and the glory. No one uploads the bad times, the failures, rejections and the moments of low. There could be two reasons for this- you naturally won’t be filming yourself when you are going through crises and secondly people don’t really talk about failures, because it is viewed as a negative concept in society. We say that failure is the stepping stone to success, but do we really believe that statement? For many the first encounter with failure results in their world crashing down followed by the feeling of insecurity.
This year has been very eventful for me, I’ve had my share of moments that I cherish and milestones that I achieved. I’m also thankful for those not so good moments and the really bad ones too. These failures definitely made me upset, but gave me the opportunity to learn and grow. Take it from someone who as failed a lot and is still not giving up, here are my thoughts:
1. When you fail, drop the ball, botch it, f**k up, call it what you want; remember the next step is ownership. The sooner you take responsibility for the mess, the better you will feel about yourself. There’s no sense in wondering what could have happened or what might have been. It is something you will never know.
2. Failing doesn’t make you a loser. In this context, by loser I mean a lost cause. It simply means you tried something and that didn’t pan out as expected. Does that make you unhappy? Yes, I’m sure. Is it the end of the world? Definitely not.
3. Do not quit, when you’re down! Failure at any stage makes you feel that you are fighting a losing battle. Whatever you do, do not throw in the towel. Successful scientists, athletes, artists, businessmen and women didn’t give up. They kept trying, changing their strategies, made minor and major improvements and finally landed on the cover of the books you read.
4. Take feedback, suggestions from people who are ahead of you and who you see as mentors and inspirations. There is no shame in taking the ‘back to school’ approach and starting over.
5. Remember the night is always darkest before dawn. Your moment to shine, to be a winner, a leader, a mentor, to have your name on the plaque or to be the first is just around the corner. Do you really want to give up now?!
After reading and listening to many stories of great personalities, I honestly believe that to move ahead in life you either succeed in one go or fail many times. The latter is more likely to happen, and while it doesn’t have the glamour and bragging rights, it comes with the opportunity to learn, the tried and tested experience of what works and what doesn’t and soon the subject expertise. I can’t say I hope you never fail, but I hope that you muster all the strength and courage to power through the failure and embrace the greatness that lies beyond.
Wishing you all a happy and prosperous new year.