Why you should open your arms wide to failure and give it a big hug

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Amy. She was talented at her work. She performed above average on all her projects and frequently pleased her supervisors. She got raises for her good work regularly, at a little above the rate of inflation. She was definitely “winning the game.”

But when the time came for Amy to take one step for herself and perform those same skills in pursuit of her own interests, she blanched. “What will they think?” she said to herself and went down a rabbit hole of mental gymnastics trying to figure out how she could market herself without judgment or reproach. Consequently, Amy did nothing.

Today Amy is still very good at her job, and she makes a little over the cost of inflation each year.

Who are you afraid to fail in front of? Because let’s be honest, it’s not the act of failing itself that’s so terrifying but rather that there will be witnesses. So who exactly are these “people” you’re afraid to fail in front of, and why do you care so much?

A fundamental principle I learned in entrepreneurial school is “Fail Forward Fast.” Failing is actually part of the process for many types of businesses, especially in the technology sector. Why? Because it is the doing itself that is important. Doing begets learning, and learning begets growing. Growth is what we are really after.

In cooking, we call this a “knowledge of practice.” It is only in the doing that you learn how to do something best.

Fail Forward Fast. Move. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Take another step forward. Do this quickly, like ripping off a band-aid, and you’ll feel a lot less of the pain.

If there were one great big brass ring for each person to grab in life, it is this: creating is part of life; living creatively is to accept your own vulnerability. We must internalize the idea that we reach the ones we need to, who matter in the moment. Others will be reached in another way or another time. Perhaps the others will teach us something too.

You don’t please everyone; this is not possible and unnecessary. What is necessary is to put one foot outside of your circle of comfort each day. You must take the first step for yourself — for your growth, your story’s development, and the ripple effect it will have on others.

Welcome failure. Let it in with open arms and pull up a chair for it. It is a companion for you on your path to success — a partner. You can’t get where you’re going without it.

If you’re not failing, you’re probably not going anywhere. Wouldn’t you rather fail miserably all along the way to somewhere amazing than stay inside the box of your own imaginary safety? I know I would.