4 WAYS TO USE FAILURE AS FUEL
Don’t let a setback slow you down – failure can be a great source of energy. Simon shares his advice for turning a negative into a positive.
1 REFRAME THE SETBACK
Fear of failure can stop so many of us from taking action, but what is failure really? When you think about it objectively, it’s nothing more than feedback, an education and a step to something better. A simple reframe like this, therefore, can help you to see failure from a more productive perspective and to appreciate that you always learn more from what goes wrong than from what goes right. Seen in this way, failure becomes an experience that develops your resilience and confidence, elevates your energetic state and acts as a catalyst for transformation.
2 IMMERSE YOURSELF IN INSPIRATION
When faced with failure, which comes in all shapes and sizes, this strategy helps to feed your ‘comeback-ability’. You may have missed out on a promotion, lost someone important or had to shut down a business venture. Coming back stronger from events like this isn’t always straightforward, but when you immerse yourself in inspiration (such as reading or watching positive stories), you find the energy not to let failure defeat you, because inspiration is a force that breathes energy into you, compelling you to take action.
3 HAVE SELF-COMPASSION
It’s important for you to understand that failing does not make you a failure, it’s an event, not an identity statement. If you’ve failed at something, remind yourself that you can’t learn to stand up without falling or improve without critical feedback. The experience may not be fun in the moment, but it’s a valuable part of any personal growth. Be kind and forgive yourself when you make mistakes. You’re only human, and you must balance these inevitable events with an appreciation of just how far you’ve come in order to be where you are today. Be proud of your failures along the way and take more risks – it will be thanks to these so-called failures that you come to know what you know.
4 TRY ENERGY SWITCHING
Put simply, this is about switching your energy from negative to positive actions. Negative actions are unproductive and include things such as endlessly replaying the event in your head and finding someone or something to pin the blame on. These are energetic blocks to your flow. Positive actions keep you focused on making progress. These include activities that help you clear your mind (exercise, journalling, meditation) and remind you of the vision you’re working towards.