Distinguish Between Failure and Defeat

Failure is a part of life. Defeat is optional.

Let me explain. What it means to fail is to not achieve a goal that you set out for yourself. You wanted to launch a business or become a firefighter or try out for America’s Got Talent. When you do not achieve your goal, you have failed.

This is common. We all have goals that we set for ourselves. We frequently do not achieve those goals. This is the definition of failure.

Defeat, on the other hand, is about our reaction to failure. Specifically, when we get defeated, we accept the failure. We reverse our course.

When we get defeated, all we see is retreat. Frequently, this is accompanied by isolation, self-doubt, and, disengagement. The result is that we stop making forward progress.

Failure is factual- you set a goal, you did not achieve it. Defeat is psychological- it is how we choose to respond to the facts.

It is impossible to succeed without failing.

It is impossible to succeed without failing. There is, literally, nobody who has succeeded without explicitly failing. What is important is that they learned from it.

Specifically, every single person who became successful went through this process-

1) Understand why you failed

2) Evaluate whether the goal is right

3) Assess whether one should change direction

4) Identify a new goal and a plan to achieve it

Those that try, fail

There is only one way to fail- to try. If you become so scared of failure that you don’t take your short, you have failed in a much deeper sense.

Every time you try to move towards your goals, you run the risk of failure. And, that is just fine.

Not trying at all is the surest way to fail. Therefore, try and if you don’t succeed at first, try again.

This is best embodied in this quote by the legendary basketball champion, Michael Jordan-

I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career/ I've lost almost 300 games/ 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot/ and missed./ I've failed over, and over and over again in my life./ And that is why/ I succeed.

Failure is part of life. Defeat is your choice.

Failure is simply a part and parcel of life itself. Whether professionally or personally, you will fail. That is just fine.

Refuse to be defeated. Always.