Learning How To Deal With Failure

At some time, everyone experiences failure. Whether it is related to relationships, hobbies, school, work, or any number of other possibilities, failure can happen to anyone. The problem may be due to difficulties with learning, family, marriage, employment, or other situations. In order to have success in life, it is important that individuals learn first how to deal with failure.

It is natural to feel disappointment, despair, hopelessness, and anger when things do not go as planned. However, it becomes a problem when individuals see themselves as total failures instead of just acknowledging and accepting that their plans went awry. Certainly, there is a vast difference contrast between those two ideas.

Although Thomas Edison built approximately 9,999 light bulbs before he finally made one that lit up, the general consensus is that he was a great success. Had he considered himself a failure, people might still be using candlelight.

A personal reaction to failure will determine the probability of achieving goals. Some people project blame outside themselves. Others repeat their mistakes, believing that something will change. The third type observe failure and use it as feedback for assessment and revision.

As feedback, failure can offer invaluable information about all stages of an event, project, or action. From the planning stages through the finale, a lack of success can show when, where, and how changes are needed.

After making revisions, action is implemented, and progress is monitored. Negative feedback indicates a need for plan adjustment, and the cycle continues until the desired results are achieved.

As an example of turning a failure around, the Jacuzzi bothers invented the whirlpool bath for people suffering from arthritic conditions. The feedback they received, besides the low sales, was that the general public could not afford such a product. After re-evaluation, they successfully marketed their product to rich consumers as a luxury item. The Jacuzzi is now a familiar household name.

What separates people who fail from people who succeed? One of the factors is being able to view failure as an opportunity to reevaluate, to learn, and to plan accordingly, while not taking the failure personally. For anyone who wants to achieve their plans, learning how to deal with failure is a priority.


By Sally Deapen


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