No one wants to fail, but failure is inevitable. You will fail at something at one point or the other.

How else will you be the best at what you do if you don’t learn from your failures?
It is so unfortunate that the society we find ourselves in has zero tolerance for failure. But it is okay to fail! Not everyone gets it right the first time. The only problem is that you let the aftermath of failure scare you away from taking new risks, entering new territories or trying out something new. Failure can make you concede to defeat even before trying. When you have already accepted defeat in your mind, chances are you will fail in reality.

Let’s see Rapha’s skipping story below:

“I went on my routine morning jogging some days ago. As I made my rounds on the football pitch, I noticed a nice looking young man skipping gracefully.

I smiled and he said ‘Hello’, so I asked to borrow his rope for some minutes.

It’s been ages I skipped though, but watching him skip looked super easy. So I dived in with all confidence ready to crush it.

I tried the first time, stepped on the rope almost cutting it off. First I was ashamed I couldn’t carry out such a simple task. Then as I tried again & again but still couldn’t figure out a perfect timing to jump the rope, I felt defeated already.

I felt too heavy to jump. I felt too tall (I am 6’ft2). Then I realized the young man who skipped gracefully is taller than I am and weighs more than I do.

That was the moment I realized I was my own limitation. I failed even before I started. I was too worried about what onlookers or passers-by would think of me (an adult embarrassing herself with a skipping rope).

Then I freed my mind, heaved a sigh of relief and resumed skipping with full determination and readiness to enjoy the process. And yes I started out rough but I kept going until I was more steady and smooth. It was a simple but an awesome experience that gave me a different perspective on how I handle failure in my career journey.”

Can you relate to this?

The lesson in Rapha’s story is quite simple and direct. Do not spend your time getting consumed with what others will think of you if they see you fail. That is not important. The important thing is to drive yourself with determination despite a few road bumps or failures to success. John-paul Iwuoha, a business strategist in one of his articles on failure, gave a typical real-life illustration using babies. He said “Most babies never succeed the first time they try; they often fail, fall and cry. And then something interesting happens; every baby tries again. Failure after failure, he tries again. In a couple of months, he’ll be running all over the place, having fun and being naughty. Those same legs that couldn’t stand and walk will have learned to run.”

This is a very good illustration, all you have to do is focus on the end which is success. You are the only limitation you have in your life & career. Do it afraid and you will see better results.

Source: CareerhubAfrica Blog