So your goal(s) for 2018 failed. You’re looking for a better 2019.
But you’re not really sure how you’ll do it. Maybe it’s how you’re looking at it.
Today GenuLines looks at failure and offers some ideas on how to re-frame it.
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Failed To Reach A Goal? Move On And Learn From It!
We tend to think of missing our goals as something shameful, undesirable. Failing to realize our intentions can cause negative feelings.
No matter how big or small the goal.
The way to overcome those feelings is by changing the way you understand failure. It’s part of the success process and it teaches valuable lessons if we know how to learn from it.
Ways to redefine failure and learn from it
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Learning from your mistakes is about more than just thinking about what went wrong.
The first step towards using failure as a tool for success is to stop seeing mistakes as shameful.
Think about it – a mistake is not only a natural part of embarking on a new project; it is also part of the human experience. Accept it as a necessary step towards achieving your goals.
In her article “Strategies for Learning from Failure”, Amy C. Edmondson classifies mistakes:
Preventable
These are the mistakes we often think of as bad. They result from a lack of focus or attention to the procedures needed to achieve the goal.
Complexity-related
These mistakes happen when the goal is the product of various factors. They include:
- your own motivation
- previous skills
- your environment
- support network
- your resources
If any of these fail, you might be unable to reach the goal.
Intelligent mistakes
According to Adam Mendler, having the freedom to make mistakes increases creativity. And it boosts work performance.
Mendler looks at the pressures to avoid mistakes and the shame that comes with them. Minus those, he found that employees contribute more often.
And they’re able to express more original ideas.
For example, many inventors stumbled upon some of the great inventions. Think Post-It notes or penicillin.
There is a beginning step toward learning from the setback, whatever its source. Remove any negative feelings about it and re-frame it as a source of new knowledge.
What’s next?
Rethink your approach to your goal
Now that you’re looking at the mistake without judgment, think of how you got into the situation.
Guy Winch* suggests you analyze your motivation levels, focus, and mindset.
Did you feel less motivated to achieve your goal at some point? Did something else distract you from it?
If your dedication and focus decreased at any time, make note of it and try to find the cause. Identify the internal and external causes that affected your resolve.
This helps you prepare for them in the future.
At times you can discuss the failure with someone you trust. This might help you see the issues from a different perspective.
Rely on your support network to pinpoint what went wrong and how you could’ve prevented it.
Plan ahead
Identifying what caused the mistake is not enough to prevent it in the future. You need to take steps to prevent that mistake from happening again.
Say your goal was to write a novel in six months. You’ve identified a few reasons why you couldn’t achieve it.
They include lack of time, insufficient planning, or lack of motivation.
But what can you do to prevent those issues from getting in the way of your goal in the future? In our example, you could scale down the scope of the novel.
Spend more time planning the story. Or set a specific time to write undisturbed.
Bottom line?
Failure is not permanent.
“Accept” failure. Analyze its causes. And look at how you can by-pass those causes.
Now you’re on your way to achieving your goals.
JohnK 12-20-2018
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Overheard: “The errors of great men are venerable because they are more fruitful than the truths of little men.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
* “The 4 Keys to Learning From Failure”- Guy Winch
* “What Sales Executives Can Learn From Failure”- Adam Mendler
Overheard: “Action expresses priorities.” 
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