Follow the Fear, Get Uncomfortable and Be You...the True Path to Success
We've all seen the child on the playground climbing up the slide the wrong way. They get a little way up and then slide down. Just to start again.
It doesn't matter how many times, they fall off, block the other kids trying to come down, they just keep climbing up. My personal favorite is when they insist on climbing up the slide while another kid is trying to come down.
Notoriously, you see the frantic parent scrambling to stop their determined child from getting in the way of the other children or admonishing their child to stop it, they aren’t “supposed to do it that way.” As long as it's not your child, it can be inspiring to watch. Think about the determination despite numerous setbacks and the ultimate success when they reach the top!
A History of Overcomers
The same goes as adults. Those who accept their failure as a learning lesson, as a step to success, those who dust themselves off and get back up to keep moving forward...that is where the biggest success lies.
Think of President Abraham Lincoln, known best for his role is ending slavery. Did you know he lost 8 different political races? But he didn't give up. His tenacity set him up to lead our country through some rough times.
What about Oprah Winfrey? Did you know she was fired from her anchor job for being "too emotionally invested." Did that make her shy away from following her heart...no, she went all in with her talk show. The Oprah Winfrey Show's influence is seen throughout the media industry today.
Are you a fan of Harry Potter? The movies, the books, the Universal Studios theme park and so much more. J.K. Rowling's sensational, magical series was rejected 12 times before a publisher decided to take a chance on the boy wizard.
Michael Jackson, Vera Wang The Wright Brothers, Walt Disney and Henry Ford...the list just goes on of individuals who have gone all in and overcome to overwhelming success. Are you ready to take the next step in your own journey to success?
Are You Ready to Walk on the Edge of Chaos
Do you work with an innovative organization ready to walk on the edge of chaos, take chances and follow their gut to achieve things that are truly remarkable? You can identify these companies in the way they empower their employees to stick their necks out, trust their impulses and allow collective decisions to guide the creative process.
There’s a reason we are giving due credit to the research and studies on things like Psychological Safety. It is because companies are recognizing the value of creating a vulnerable climate where people can safely take risks and failing is no longer associated with fear.
People crave climates where their contribution, no matter how risky, is welcomed and supported. Companies like Pixar have tested and proven that a culture that accepts failure “as a necessary consequence of doing something new” will thrive and do bigger things.
What are you waiting for? It’s time to change your mindset and embrace the role of failure in your life and work.
6 Tips for Embracing Failure
It’s all about your mindset. Don’t let your limiting beliefs and previous experiences box you in. Let go of the fear, concern about others approval, any stereotypes or assumptions and being complacent with the status quo. To be the success you want to be, you have to be open to going against the norm and following your gut!
Take objections as a message, not a rejection. Look at each objection or rejection as a gift, a learning lesson. Each time you are rejected you learn more about who your client is or what they want.
Reframe the negatives. Flip it, twist it, turn it inside out. Sometimes it’s all about perspective in how you present or approach something that can change the game.
Remember that people buy from people. Your story makes a difference in that connection. Connect your purpose to your message. Be real, authentic and be available and open to what is to come.
Learn to listen. Ask the question and then listen to process, not to respond. By listening, you will learn your clients’ pain points, their values, what they think is working or not working. All this information is key for driving the connection, directing your messaging and overcoming.
Take an improv class. Setting yourself up with a process to practice risk-taking, vulnerability and embracing failure is key. It’s a given in improvisation that you will likely “get it wrong”, it’s human, it’s real and it’s not about the failure, it’s how you move through it and use it to create the end result.
Happy Failing!
Bonus Resource: Read more about businesses that took huge risks that paid off big.