Chris Brogan on Failure
I don't believe that I've ever met someone who truly doesn't worry about failure in some aspect. Some are better at keeping those thoughts of failure pushed away most of the time but every now and then it creeps back into view.
Whether it’s in a relationship, career, foot race, or whatever other situation we find ourselves in, the fear of failure can prevent us from taking risks and ultimately gaining ground outside our comfort zone.
Here’s an excerpt from an email Chris Brogan sent on Sunday, September 13, 2015 that's simple yet illustrative.
P.S. If you like this, you should definitely subscribe to his email newsletter.
Another View of Failure
Think of failure as “an outcome you didn’t expect or want.” That’s what Tony Robbins taught me. It’s very freeing to consider failure that way. Instead of “Oh wow, you suck! You’re terrible! You’ll NEVER make it,” this kind of mindset is, “Huh, well, that’s not what I wanted to see happen. What do I do next?”
It’s a powerful reframing and it changes everything.
Actions You Can Take
Want to test this? DELIBERATELY do something you know you’ll fail at and work on accepting the response. For instance, take three bean bags or tennis balls down to the street corner and show off your juggling prowess (with no previous knowledge). Go to karaoke and belt out the lyrics to a song you don’t really know (especially if you can’t sing). Just let it out there, fail, and see if you die. (Hint: you won’t.)
Whether it’s in a relationship, career, foot race, or whatever other situation we find ourselves in, the fear of failure can prevent us from taking risks and ultimately gaining ground outside our comfort zone.
Here’s an excerpt from an email Chris Brogan sent on Sunday, September 13, 2015 that's simple yet illustrative.
P.S. If you like this, you should definitely subscribe to his email newsletter.
Another View of Failure
Think of failure as “an outcome you didn’t expect or want.” That’s what Tony Robbins taught me. It’s very freeing to consider failure that way. Instead of “Oh wow, you suck! You’re terrible! You’ll NEVER make it,” this kind of mindset is, “Huh, well, that’s not what I wanted to see happen. What do I do next?”
It’s a powerful reframing and it changes everything.
Actions You Can Take
Want to test this? DELIBERATELY do something you know you’ll fail at and work on accepting the response. For instance, take three bean bags or tennis balls down to the street corner and show off your juggling prowess (with no previous knowledge). Go to karaoke and belt out the lyrics to a song you don’t really know (especially if you can’t sing). Just let it out there, fail, and see if you die. (Hint: you won’t.)