For many of us, when we hear that word, we start think negatively. We will often think about a regrettable, pitiful person that is continually down on their “luck” and labeled a “failure.”

Many of us personalize that word and use it to describe permanent conditions around a person. Not true …

As I continue to work on creating my dream life while building in more High Performance, it’s become clear to me that the term “failure” needed some major remapping in my brain. You might need that, too.

After some reading and trial & error, here are the 5 Steps I now take when a “failure” occurs…and BEFORE I fall into that trap of negative thinking:

  1. Ask myself: “Were my expectations realistic here?” Since I tend to be a perfectionist and crazy optimistic with what I can tackle, I’m often setting unreasonable expectations for myself. A failed event or result may mean I need to adjust what is reasonable to expect or in what timeframe.
  2. Find new lessons, new ideas and new data from the “failure” event. If I’m constantly learning with every effort, whether it “fails” or succeeds, I’m always learning & not a “failure” myself.
  3. Focus on the strengths, resources and other tools to help me re-attempt again. (Keeps me focused on moving FORWARD & what’s available and possible.)
  4. Commit to myself to bounce back from “failed” event even stronger, wiser and better equipped than before. (The 3 steps prior help me get ready to do this with confidence.)
  5. Accountability with at least one, trusted friend that I’ve not given up & what I’ll do next. (This keeps me away from a tendency to “suffer in silence.” It also helps me share wisdom, mini-successes  & support with someone else also striving to “fail forward.”

Do you have a nagging “failure” or two that is recent? That you could apply these 5 Steps to for yourself? Reclaim Your Life and power again by doing that today.

And if you’re able to use these steps to get back to action & results again, please comment & share below so I can congratulate you!