Better doing something that fails...
Than nothing at all.
Hey everyone. Today, I want to delve into the common encouragement often heard in entrepreneurial circles: "Just do it, even if you're scared or have no clue of what the outcome might be." While it's a sentiment commonly shared, let me be real with you – embracing this mindset isn't always easy, especially for someone like me who’s a recovering perfectionist. I use this term to remind myself of this tendency and more importantly that I’m getting past it every day :).
So I have so much compassion for people that struggle with it knowingly or unknowingly, silently, or with support. I remember how I would freeze up just considering this proposition some years ago, before actually deciding to bungee jump my way into the entrepreneurial arena (I found out there was a cord after I jumped, lol). Just do it didn’t ‘do it for me’ for the longest time.
So I definitely understand the tendency of the mind to explore new territories by imagining, researching, and perfecting an offering and then go through all the reasons why it's not ready or I'm not ready, just to avoid an 'imperfect' aka failure experience by any means.
And it was definitely not easy nor pleasant for me to overcome this pattern (And truth be told, I still struggle with it quite often). However, despite my perfectionist tendencies, I've found that what has propelled me forward and enabled me to take numerous chances with new service offerings or community activities that genuinely make my heart smile is the ability to push past that inner voice of fear.
So, here are three reasons why embracing failure versus fearing it is worth it - plus one bonus that is less mentioned but definitely worth highlighting has actually been a winning experience for me so far:
Learning and Growth: Each failure, every misstep, is an opportunity for us to learn and grow. When things don't go according to plan, it forces us to evaluate what went wrong, what could have been done differently, and how we can improve moving forward. Failure isn't the end of the road; it's a stepping stone on the path to success. Embracing failure as a natural part of the learning process has enabled us to continuously evolve and refine our approach.
Becoming more resilient: Failure has a remarkable way of building resilience in us. It toughens us up, teaches us to bounce back stronger, and instills within us a sense of perseverance. When we've experienced failure and come out the other side, we realize that setbacks are temporary and that we have the resilience to overcome any obstacle that comes our way. It's this resilience that empowers us to keep pushing forward, even in the face of adversity.
Taking Action: Perhaps the most significant lesson we've learned from embracing failure is the importance of taking action. It's easy to get stuck in a cycle of overthinking and analysis paralysis, endlessly waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect plan. But the truth is, there's never a perfect time, and there's never a perfect plan. Sometimes, we just have to take a leap of faith and trust that we'll figure it out along the way. By taking action, even if it results in failure, we're moving forward, making progress, and ultimately inching closer to our goals.
Bonus reason # 4 Feeling freer and more joyful: With every bump encountered, every fall followed by a rise, every cry followed by laughter, the 'failing experiences' show us that nothing is really as bad as our mind imagines it to be, and the courage and guts that it takes to put ourselves out there are much more important than the actual success - or they are equally valuable. So everything turns out easier, more fun, and less serious.
In conclusion, while it may go against every fiber of my perfectionist mind, I've come to realize that embracing failure is not only necessary but incredibly beneficial on the journey to success. By shifting my perspective and viewing failure as a valuable learning experience rather than a setback, I've been able to grow, become more resilient, and take decisive action towards realizing my dreams. So, the next time you find yourself hesitating out of fear of failure, remember – it's better to try and fail than to never try at all.