Failure? I don't think so.

Yesterday we talked about how you could make negative decisions about yourself when you don’t succeed at something and how those decisions and beliefs about yourself can become a debilitating limiting factor in your life.  Here are some things to keep in mind-

1) Worthy things are not easy.  If it was easy everyone would do it.  Trying something and messing it up or not succeeding the first time is part of actually learning how to do it.  I failed at the Baja 1000 Ironman race two years in a row until I got it right.  Failure is only feedback.  It’s saying you have to try again a different way because when you do it this way this is how it goes.  It’s only failure if you quit before you figure it out by trying and messing it up over and over again until you succeed.

2) Not all of us are going to be good at the same things.  That’s by design.  Don’t compare yourself to others. When you fail at something that wasn’t in your strength zone and it was a goal someone else set for you, it means nothing.  Find what your talents are and develop yourself there.  I may have finished the Baja 1000 Ironman and train business leaders, but I can’t play hockey or figure out the remote control on the TV or write a software program for squat.  I’m good with that.

3) You don’t have to succeed at everything.  There are so many things to do and work at in this world – we are all going to be terrible at a lot of things.  So what?  Just be great at something.  Use your talents and be the best you that you can be. 

4) Stay in your strength zone, and just strive to be better than you were yesterday. Every day I try to make progress toward my big goals.  Some days I do, and some days are tough. Keep going. 

You’re a winner in your arena – that’s what I believe, and you can believe it too!