MENTAL HEALTH: Failures are stepping stones to success

We have all experienced failure in one of its many forms at some point throughout our lives. Business, relationship, educational or financial failures are a common and mostly unavoidable part of life. When greeted with failure, there are a number of steps you can take to cope to lessen its impact.
First it is always good to acknowledge what has happened, and accept it too. You can’t change what has happened. The only way you will ever even be able to think about moving forward is if you remain cognisant of that. In doing so, you are giving yourself an opportunity to reflect, and possibly take away some learnings as to what went wrong. If there is anything that you could have done differently, consider what impact that may have had on your result.
With all of this new information, it would be a good idea to look forward and take some action based on what you learnt. Perhaps the goal you were targeting wasn’t realistic or had too tight of a timeline? And if this is the case, revisit your goal and see if you can reframe it to make it more achievable to work towards. Being proactive in this way will help you to close any gaps or weaknesses you may have uncovered. And for some people, failure can even act as a great catalyst towards success.
Whilst experiencing failure will undoubtedly feel like the end of the world at that time, there are some positive aspects worth embracing too. As mentioned above, there is so much room for learning and growth. In a lot of cases failure can also lead to a better and deeper understanding of yourself and help you to achieve personal growth. Additionally, failures and the process of overcoming them can sometimes lead to increased resilience. You will feel and be more equipped to deal with any future challenges that come your way.
Failure can also unlock increased empathy in you. Having had the experience yourself, you are best placed to feel empathy and compassion for anyone else that may be going through some similar struggles. Empathy is a key part of human connection and is an essential component of personal relationships. Remember to maintain a positive mindset and display compassion towards yourself too. It’s hugely important.
Remember to maintain a positive mindset if this is at all possible, and display compassion towards yourself too. However, if your circumstances are really getting you down, then it would be good to seek out support. Reach out to friends, family or professionals to discuss your experience and feelings. This may help in offering perspective and also provide some needed comfort, which we can surely all benefit from on occasion.
There’s no disputing that failures can be a real challenge to experience. They may knock your self-belief and confidence. Although it is easier said than done, do try and look at the opportunities they provide for learning, growing and becoming a more resilient person. Look at failures as stepping stones to success, and keep working to move forward on your journey.