“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” 

Winston Churchill

We all have goals and dreams, and we constantly strive to succeed in life. An initial idea of what we hope to achieve one day is one of the first steps for materializing visions. But unfortunately, society sells us an ideal image of success, especially in this modern, competitive, and fast-paced world. Every day we are presented with examples of brilliant individuals that inspire us with their personal stories of triumph, and we idealize plans to accomplish the same for ourselves. Yet, we tend to overlook, and even despise failure, one of the most necessary elements to achieve success. 

An underrated concept

People can often negatively consider the idea of failure since the feeling of discomfort lies at the basis of defeat and the fear of failing. We become our own harshest critics as we learn to measure our self-image and self-esteem according to our achievements, and when we experience failure, the weight of our mistakes is frequently a heavier burden. 

However, in every unique story, an element hides behind the glory of a successful final result, and that element is a repeated failure. If we talked more about the times people tried and failed, we would know that this concept can be easier to accept, and we could become more open to learning from unsuccessful events.

The unavoidable master

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is a delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” – Denis Waitley.
It does not matter how clear the goal is or how carefully we plan the road to succeed; things will not always go our way. Nevertheless, failure is one of the most fundamental events that we experience in life. We can significantly benefit from failing if we see this as a lesson, not a sentence. 

Seeing failure as a teacher is often easier said than done, but changes in outlook and rational assessments of events can help reduce fear. Then, as you go, you can obtain the right insights and have an advantage over the most challenging circumstances if you are ready to fail in front of others.

But, how do we stay motivated when we have failed?

Be understanding with yourself.

When we fail, the first thing we want to do is beat ourselves up. However, criticizing ourselves for our errors drains us emotionally and makes us forget that failing is as natural as breathing. We would have never been able to learn to walk without falling first. 

 Starting to move forward while embracing failure is a skill you can master. Allow yourself to learn to succeed by being compassionate. A balanced picture of yourself is vital for mental wellness, including forgiving yourself for previous errors.

 Use the abilities you learned from your past failure.

Another thing we should keep in mind is that failure allows us to implement better approaches and come up with new solutions. Therefore, once you know there is room to progress, you must examine your actions, determine what went wrong, and decide what changes to make to succeed next time. This perspective will give you the ability to adapt and think creatively to try different routes. 

Learn to be humble

A success that comes too effortlessly can never be a source of knowledge. Success can lead to overconfidence that prevents you from seeing the actual state of things. To embrace humility is to accept that you can learn from others and see outside of the box. You will be unable to understand that something might go wrong at any time, and that is best to be conscious of your limitations to improve with each day.

Stick to your motives!

Finally, remember why you started trying in the first place. Whatever path you decide to follow will have its rewards and adversities; everyone has a motivation that drives us to create new projects, carry out a business, or show our skills to the world. We must be faithful to our goals and remember what we want to achieve and why we want it. There is nothing more potent than an inspiration well-rooted in oneself.

The next time you find yourself discouraged from continuing to work on a failed project, ask yourself, why do you want to achieve it? How do I envision the future once I reach my goal? By doing this, you can turn your doubt into strength to try again, which is what success is about.