365 Secrets of Success

7.If You Really Want to Succeed, Double Your Rate of Failure

One of the biggest reasons why people don’t try new things is because they are afraid of failing.

The fear of failure has its roots in how we think others perceive us, and also how we perceive ourselves.

The most dominant ‘script’ that we have of ourselves going around our heads every day will affect how we respond to the call to action to attempt success.

How convinced we are about our ability to succeed or fail is largely governed by how likely we think we will succeed at the opportunity we are being presented.

The perceived risk is also determined by the gap we sense between where we are now in our character and skills, and what is required to maximise the chance of success.

But it all starts with what is happening on the inside – in our minds.

I love the paradox of today’s secret of success.

There are two ways to receive the statement:

1) Take it at face value, facing it with fear, saying to yourself that there is no way that you want to fail even more than you are – that’s depressing.

Or,

2) Interpret it in the light of what you know is really true about success: most of the time that you are wanting to achieve something new, you are constantly trimming the direction you take, picking yourself up off the floor when you fall over, learning the set of competencies/skills needed, and moving forwards one step at a time.

It’s this latter approach I’m talking about here.

Listen, when you learned how to walk, you didn’t give up just because you fell over a couple of times. You kept going because you could see that there were things around you that you really wanted, and moreover, there were people around you who could also walk.

You saw walking happening all around you, so you wanted to be able to do it too.

So, what mindset should you be striving for in order to gain the right perspective about ‘doubling your rate of failure’?

These two keys should be present:

1)A passion, or desire that motivates you to get up when you fall

2)A group of encouragers around you who by their actions, results and cheerleading, will enable you to dust yourself down, pick yourself up, and carry on stumbling. walking and eventually running, towards your goal.

What if you don’t have any encouragers, or mentors? Go find some.

Find them in real life, or online, in CD’s/mp3′s or even in books that you read.

Just find them. Find a passion that is other-centered, that will positively affect the lives of people around you.

That’s doubling your rate of failure.

And that’s where real success is hidden.