Failing Forward: A Week of Learning From Failures
Today feels like a good day to talk about failure. Yes, we know it’s supposed to be part of the journey to success, but let’s be real, last week was a spectacular showcase of such. No matter how many leadership books you read, including the timeless wisdom from John Maxwell (one of my favourite authors) sometimes life just likes to remind you that you’re human.
You can study, plan, and prep all you want, but sometimes, despite your best efforts, things just fall apart. Here’s a little rundown of my week’s failures:
I am learning to golf and I suck. Maybe it's just me, but it seems easier to take up a new sport as a kid than as an adult. In my weekly golf lesson, I thought I was doing really well and I thought for sure I was progressing to level 2 of my beginner program, however much to my surprise when I tallied the numbers at the end, I actually did worse than my first attempt. So there you have it, progress is certainly not linear!
100 Women Who Care. Our charity was nominated for this award and asked to present to this amazing group of women. I spent much of a sunny Sunday writing a compelling speech and I was nervously excited for the opportunity. However, I ran out of time and didn’t even get to finish my talk. I was also very distracted by an echo on the mic and it felt like my worst presentation ever. Just another bump in the road on the journey to success I told myself. At least I got some good practice at writing and presenting.
Feedback Flop at Work: During a meeting at work, I sought feedback on a new initiative with our team, and instead of listening and open-mindedly considering my associate's perspective, I blurted out, "I don't agree with you." Not my finest moment in fostering a collaborative environment that's for sure - it's actually the exact opposite of how to handle difficult conversations.
Mom Fail of the Year: As if the professional blunders weren’t enough, I messed up the timing for my son’s event at his school this week and we missed the entire introduction. I also pre-ordered everyone's food but forgot the drinks, so the kids whined about how thirsty they were all evening.
At the end of the week, I reflected on what a shit week it had been and was reminded of John Maxwell's book "Failing Forward" as it was staring me right in the eye while sitting in my living room. I read this book before I got into business or parenting and remembered that it talks about how failure isn't an obstacle but a stepping stone to success. I found myself reminding myself of this during each of these failures.
It's not the mess up itself, but rather the way we respond to it that determines our future success.
Reframe Your Perspective: Instead of seeing failure as a defeat, view it as a learning opportunity. Each mistake is a lesson in what doesn’t work, which gets you one step closer to what does. This helped me reduce the shame I felt as a leader and mother.
Keep Moving Forward: It’s not about how many times you fail but how many times you get back up. Resilience is key.
Embrace Humility: Failure keeps us humble and reminds us that we’re always learning and growing. It's a necessary part of personal and professional development.
So as it stands, I am continuing to fail forward. This week might have been a disaster, but it’s also a chance to learn and improve. Next week is a blank slate; a new opportunity to get back on track and apply the lessons learned from this week’s fiascos.
Thank you, life, for keeping me humble and for constantly reminding me that no matter how far I think I’ve come, there’s always room for growth. Here’s to picking ourselves up, dusting off, and facing the new week with a little more wisdom and a lot more resilience.