7 Reasons Why Failure Is The Key To Long-Term Success
Nobody likes failing. It can destroy our self-esteem, and sometimes inspire us to quit. However, failure can be one of the most powerful drivers of growth, learning, and long-term success.
Below are seven reasons why failure can indeed help you succeed:
Failure will always make you stronger: Failing usually feels like running into a wall. But over time, such instances make emotional strength more robust. Just as muscles get stronger through resistance, developing our minds and characters comes through grappling with adverse situations. The more you learn to bounce off from them, the more you can resume from misfortunes in the future. Being able to bounce onto life has always been the prime attribute of every successful person. Dipal Mehta, a Mumbai-based practising counsellor and psychologist, shares “Success teaches you confidence. Failure teaches you strategy and one needs both to grow. When you fail, your brain doesn’t shut down it lights up. That’s the moment real learning begins”.
Failure helps to develop problem solving skills: When things do not turn out exactly as planned, we have no choice but to think differently. We ask ourselves questions like: Why did I mess this up? How will I do better next time? How will I improve myself? Such an approach better equips us when it comes to solving problems. Failure teaches one to analyze, adapt, and invent cleverly. And these ways work just as well throughout life in the field of work, relationships, and personal achievements.
It helps you overcome the fear of failing: Many people are afraid of failing, so they don’t even try. The fear always stands in their way. But once you've failed and come out on the other side, the fear begins to subside. You realize failure is just a thing that happens in the process and isn't something to be ashamed of. This notion swells your confidence, giving you that boldness to try out new things and grab bigger opportunities; and, actually, more often than not, that will lead to success.
“Failing doesn’t mean you’re not capable. It means you’re brave enough to try, and wise enough to improve. Failure is feedback with volume turned up. It hurts because it’s trying to teach you something important”, adds Mehta.
Failure fosters a growth mindset: Your ‘fixed mindset’ believes that your talent and intelligence are fixed. Conversely, ‘growth mindsets’ believe that you can get better through effort, study, and experience. Failure is one of the major ingredients of help toward becoming a growth mindset. This keeps us motivated and open to learning, even when the going gets tough.
Failure teaches valuable lessons: Some of the most important lessons are not taught in life or in textbooks — they are acquired through mistakes. Failure tells us what did not work, what needs to be corrected, and where our weakness and strength lie. Dr. Ankita Jain a general physician says “Failure isn’t the opposite of success but, it’s the foundation of it. Every setback carries a lesson, and those who embrace their failures with honesty often discover the strength, clarity, and resilience needed to truly succeed.”
Failure fosters humility: Triumph sometimes makes people arrogant or overconfident. It is defeat that keeps us grounded. It reminds us that we are human. Defeat humbles us, makes us empathetic, and allows us to identify with people who suffer just like us. Finally succeeding after a series of failures makes it all the more valuable. We cherish the experience more and thank God for all that we have learned along the way.
Failure often leads to greater success: There have been people in the past who failed miserably before they were successful. Thomas Edison made thousand attempts before creating a light bulb. J.K. Rowling was turned down by many publishers before Harry Potter shot to worldwide fame. Steve Jobs was booted out of the very company he founded but eventually returned to transform Apple into one of the largest tech giants in the world. Mostly, failure is a way in which people learn new things and either redirect or improve their opportunities. “Success built without failure is often shallow. It’s through falling, reflecting, and rising that we uncover our real potential. Failure teaches us what comfort never can like, growth, grit, and grace”, adds Dr. Jain.
Next time you fail, take a breath, look at what you learned, maybe you are farther along on the road to success than you think.
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