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A Balancing Act: Navigating Success and Failure in the Journey of Achievement
Exploring the interplay between triumphs and setbacks on the road to success
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Being human often means being hard on ourselves. It's in our DNA to survive, and survival often depends on learning from our mistakes and failures. The consequence of failure is more extreme than the reward of success, leading us to focus more on avoiding failure.
As humans, we've physically evolved, but there's still a lot of mental growth to be accomplished. This blog will focus on maintaining a healthy mindset regarding success and failure. We'll mainly discuss how to avoid self-destruction when facing failure, and how to keep success in perspective.
I fail frequently, both in my work and personal life. But rather than leading to disaster, these failures have contributed to my success.
Despite my failures, I work for a stable and prospering organization, surrounded by a supportive team. I have a happy, healthy family and the means to enjoy life's pleasures. I reside in an incredible place, one of the world's greatest.
I've achieved these things through success in work and personal life, but these successes are grounded in my failures.
"You cannot succeed without failure" - Derek
It's as simple as that. No one is immune to failure, but the way we respond to it differentiates us. Some may shy away from opportunities to fail, opting for an "easy" life. Others, like myself, persist in the face of failure until they achieve success.
Bouncing back from failure is not just necessary, it's a crucial part of personal growth and success. Once you accept that failure is a part of learning, it becomes emotionally manageable. Fostering a culture where failure is seen as an opportunity for growth is also important. However, it's essential to differentiate between experimentation and repeated failure.
Here are some steps to bounce back effectively:
History is full of revered individuals who have experienced failure. Here are a few stories and quotes from such individuals.
Thomas Edison, an American inventor and businessman, is considered one of history's greatest inventors. He is best known for his advances in the development of the electric light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera, among many other inventions.
Edison had a pragmatic and resilient outlook on failure, often emphasizing its role in the journey to success. Here are a couple of quotes attributed to him:
Recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan is celebrated for his exceptional skill, competitive drive, and clutch performances. But beyond his athletic prowess, Jordan's impact extends into popular culture, business, and philanthropy, undoubtedly making him a global icon.
A famous quote from Michael Jordan about failure is:
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
This quote underlines Jordan's recognition of failure as a crucial part of his journey to success. It stresses the importance of perseverance, resilience, and learning from setbacks in achieving greatness.
Winston Churchill, a British statesman and Prime Minister during World War II, inspired his nation with his resilience and leadership. Known for his eloquence and wit, Churchill's legacy persists as one of the most significant figures of the 20th century.
While Churchill is more commonly associated with quotes about perseverance and courage, he did provide insights that indirectly touch upon the subject of failure:
The fear of failure originates from evolutionary survival and adaptation needs. Historically, failure could mean life or death for humans, whether it be in hunting, defending against predators, or social interactions. This fear has become rooted in human psychology, causing contemporary aversion to failure due to its perceived threat to well-being, social status, and self-worth.
There are several psychological and social reasons for humans' fear of failure:
The fear of failure is deeply rooted in human psychology and can arise from various social, psychological, and emotional factors. However, confronting and overcoming this fear is crucial for personal growth and resilience.
Many people I work with experience more success than failure, or at the very least, they're in an environment conducive to success. We live in a prosperous country abundant with opportunities. Most of the world's population lives in less favorable conditions. Keeping this perspective can be very helpful. Personally, I find that engaging in charitable activities helps to maintain this perspective.
However, acknowledging personal or organizational successes can be challenging. It may not be in our nature to celebrate, but it's essential to encourage yourself to do so. Implementing certain practices or strategies can help foster a culture that celebrates success and accepts failure.
At Fishtank, we primarily use Slack for our daily communication and collaboration. We've created a Slack channel named "kudos" where anyone can publicly recognize someone else's efforts. These shout-outs are highlighted during our quarterly townhall meetings, which encourages others to contribute to the "kudos" channel.
One-on-one meetings with staff members focus on understanding what's working well and what isn't, and how we can improve. Before each meeting, I ask my staff to complete a quick survey. After noticing that all my questions were about improvement and failure, I revised the survey to start with: "What is your biggest success?" This change encourages people to reflect on their successes before considering their failures, challenges, or areas for improvement.
Fishtank holds a quarterly townhall meeting where we discuss everything from financials to project work, how we're progressing towards our goals, and other organizational updates. Most of the townhall is focused on celebrating our successes, such as great project work, completed initiatives, and upcoming fun activities. We are transparent if we're falling short of our financial or other goals, but the overall theme is to celebrate success.
There's a lot to take in here, so I'll conclude with a quote: "Take stock in success, celebrate it, foster a sense of perspective, don't fear failure, embrace it" - Derek Bairstow
