Moment 23 - Why You Should Embrace Failure: Elizabeth Day

Sep 16, 2021 9m 6s 7 insights
The discussion centers on seven failure principles, emphasizing acceptance of failure as inevitable and controlling one's response to it. It also covers navigating personal challenges like downward spirals, significant losses, and the pressures of one's 20s.
Actionable Insights

1. Accept Failure’s Inevitability

Recognize that failure is a fact of life and will happen to everyone, regardless of effort. Accepting this reality can be liberating, encouraging you to take risks rather than trying to avoid the unavoidable.

2. Control Your Response to Failure

While failure itself is inevitable, your reaction to it is within your control. Choose to learn from the experience and do things differently next time, rather than dwelling on it and feeling like a failure for years.

3. Mourn Loss, Don’t Relive Pain

For cataclysmic failures or losses, allow yourself to mourn the loss, but consciously choose not to constantly relive the pain. You can still feel sadness without letting it define you or becoming a victim of the past.

4. Seek Support During Downward Spirals

If you find yourself in a negative spiral after a failure, reach out for help. Talking to a friend, work helpline, or mental health charity can provide valuable support when it’s difficult to objectively assess the situation alone.

5. Re-evaluate Your Environment After Failure

If repeated failures or a persistent downward spiral suggest you’re in the wrong situation, consider removing yourself from that environment. Find a workplace or setting that supports you and allows you to be your true self after setbacks.

6. Embrace 20s as Transition Decade

View your twenties as a crucial decade of transition and self-discovery, rather than a period where you must have everything sorted out. This perspective can alleviate pressure and allow for personal growth, leading to greater self-knowledge and success later in life.

7. Avoid Social Media Comparison

Be mindful of the ‘curse of comparison’ prevalent in the age of curated perfection on social media. Avoid comparing your internal struggles and realities with others’ filtered, projected outsides to maintain a healthier self-perception.