Embrace failure

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. ― Robert F. Kennedy

Born for failure

Michael Jordan is a dude who fails well. One of the most significant periods of failure and growth in Jordan's career came during the late 1980s. Despite his individual brilliance, the Chicago Bulls struggled to achieve playoff success. They were repeatedly defeated by the Detroit Pistons, a team known for its physical and aggressive "Bad Boys" style of play. The Pistons' strategy, often referred to as the "Jordan Rules," focused on limiting Jordan's effectiveness through double-teaming and physical play.

These repeated playoff failures were frustrating for Jordan and the Bulls, but they served as a catalyst for change. Jordan recognized that to overcome the Pistons and succeed in the playoffs, he needed to become physically stronger and mentally tougher. He embarked on a rigorous training regimen, adding muscle and improving his endurance. This transformation was not just physical; Jordan also developed a greater understanding of teamwork and leadership, recognizing that he needed to elevate the performance of his teammates to achieve championship success.

Jordan's ability to learn from failure and use it as motivation is evident throughout his life. Each setback, whether it was a playoff defeat or a personal challenge, was met with a renewed commitment to improvement. His competitive spirit and refusal to accept defeat became legendary both in and outside the court.

I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.
― Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan's career is a profound example of how failure can be a crucial ingredient in the recipe for success. Everything he faced all contributed to his development as a legendary player and leader. His journey reminds us that failure is not something to be feared but embraced as a stepping stone to achieving greatness.

Dealing with failure

In today’s age, the pressure to succeed, amplified by social media and cultural norms, often leads to fear of failure. This fear can be paralyzing, discouraging us from taking risks or trying new things, thereby stifling our personal and professional growth.

Dealing positively with failure presents opportunities for self-improvement and resilience is built by understanding failure, learning from mistakes, and persevering despite setbacks.

Practically, I have employed a number structured frameworks and methodologies in my personal and professional life.

Inculcating a growth mindset: To do this, I focus on embracing the belief that abilities and intelligence can only be developed through dedication and hard work. I acknowledge failures, accept responsibility, and concentrate on what can be improved. I try to persist through setback by maintaining my energy over the long term. This method is especially effective when hitting the gym or learning a new skill.

Performing post-mortem analysis: I learned this first from software development and later incorporated it into personal areas of my life such as relationships, finances and learning. A postmortem analysis is an evaluation conducted after an incident, failure event or loss to understand what went well, what didn't, and why. This process aims to identify successes and failures, enabling me to learn from experience and improve future performance. Usually after this, I may make updates to my goals, activities, decision frameworks, and sometimes, values. An example is when I experience a major financial loss after an investment.

Continuous improvement: This is a philosophy that focuses on making small, incremental improvements regularly. Once you identify an area of improvement, you quickly make changes to it and review for success shortly after. I primarily employ this method for situations where there is no major loss, but I struggle to be consistent in something, such as trying to include more reading into my daily routine. In this case, I would move things around in my schedule so I have more energy for what I prioritize.

In addition to using these methods, I actively seek advice from loved ones and mentors to gain diverse perspectives, emotional support, and access to their valuable experience and wisdom. Loved ones offer comfort and encouragement, helping to build confidence and maintain motivation, while mentors bring practical insights drawn from their experience. This guidance fosters accountability, a problem-solving mindset, and a focus on the long-term picture. Additionally, trusted individuals have also helped me validate my feelings and navigate ethical dilemmas.

Living with failure

Envisioning a society or life devoid of failure is indeed impossible. Failure is deeply intertwined with the human experience and serves critical functions for our personal development and collective progress.

for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.
― Proverbs 24:16a

And in a society where success is often the ultimate goal, the idea of embracing failure may seem counterintuitive. However, let us not overlook how much of past lessons came from failing in academics, career, relationships and our faith.

Failure should never be seen as something to be dodged, but as a fundamental component in the recipe for success.