Do you have a fear of failure? Have you experienced failure that has led to that fear?
Our mindset around failure can drive us to very different end points, it’s inevitable but it can also be beneficial – two such extremes are those that may struggle to achieve due to that nagging fear of failing, or those that harness the mindset that failing can lead to better outcomes!
Whilst the reality of failing can weigh heavy on the soul, we can learn to find the positive, the opportunity, that can strive us forward to continually improve. As students, finding the right mindset is really important as you go through your exams, that will continually stretch you out of your comfort zone and test every ounce of resilience you can muster!
Inspiration
Failing forwards is a term that reflects how growth and development can occur because of that act of failing. We failed an exam, but we learnt what we didn’t know! When we fail, we need to understand that if we don’t change the methods of our act, then how can we expect to change the outcome? Fail Forward is a book written by John C Maxwell, one of many books written around this subject, but that looks into this theory of turning failure into knowledge, and focuses on 4 key things in his work.
- Failure enables new ideas. Consider Dyson. He failed 5,126 times in designing an efficient bagless vacuum. It was only on his 5,127th attempt that he gained success. He made conscious improvements to the things he learnt from his failed attempts which also drove new product ideas.
- Push us to be our best. Winston Churchill believed “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Striving forwards and continually considering how we can become better because of the things that we have found out is key for your exams and your ability to bounce back!
- Learn about our weaknesses. When we fail a question, we need to question what we would do differently next time, not just accept what is the right answer! When tackling a difficult question, appreciate why you struggle and how you can work towards understanding and improving, which can include being open to changing your tactic around that topic.
- Provide valuable opportunities. Henry Ford said “The only truth of failure is that it gives us the opportunity to start again, this time wiser”. Going back through questions and reattempting with newly gained wisdom, gaining those light bulb moments can provide opportune moments to make those new connections that support our growth.
When we harness the power of failing, we don’t see it as failing any more in the same sense, but an opportunity to understand what we don’t yet understand, and an opportunity to then do something about it!