Let’s look at “failure.”   How do you define failure?

I believe that labeling someone (even yourself) or a situation as a failure is only something we can do at the very, very end of life or at the end of a specific, long-lasting phase in life.  Even if you have not been successful at something, that attempt can be a valuable lesson. As long as you are still learning, I don’t believe that qualifies as failure. Maybe you just learned what NOT to do or what doesn’t work.

My definitions of failure are:

Failure is when you stop learning.  Failure is when you no longer try.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe there are times when you need to stop what you are doing – that’s still not failure if stopping is the best decision! You’ve made a good decision to go in a different direction, and that is what I call a success.

Instead, say that you’ve had “opportunities” and “learning experiences.”

• How many “learning experiences” did Thomas Edison have before each invention (1093 registered patents) was successful?
• How many “opportunities to improve” did Colonel Sanders have before his fried chicken recipe was accepted by new franchise owners and his fast food chain became a globally-recognized product branding?
• How many dating “opportunities” did you have before meeting your spouse?

Each opportunity and learning experience moves you closer to success. That is NOT failure.

When we redefine the definition of “failure,” we start to redefine many other words. This then redefines our outlook and our attitudes.   Look at your definition of “failure” and a few other words.  Could your internal dictionary use an update?

 My best,

Tess Haranda

Personal life, career, executive coach

www.successwithtess.com