Day Seventy-Four – The Art of Failing Forward

 

I am awake, I am alive, and this morning I am smiling as I embrace the wisdom of “failing forward”.

Truth be told, I may be one of the most focused, self-determined, driven people you know but even I do not succeed every single day and that has never harmed me, for if I must fail, I insist on failing forward.

To explain – in my world, each day is a gift, something to be cherished. If I waste a day, I am not cherishing it (although we have to be REALLY careful with the word “wasting”). Time spent chatting with loved ones whether they be family or friend – good use. Time spent relaxing after a hard productive day – good use. Time wasted spending 48 hours watching Netflix while doing little else – wasted.

To avoid and/or at least minimize my wasted days, I set a “To Do List’ each morning. Depending on the day the list may include finishing a section of a new book, designing a key part of an upcoming seminar, or doing my laundry. My agenda is as varied as my life but ALWAYS there is something to do and most days I do most of the list. Some days I crush it and complete everything and some days I don’t… but I always try and that is where “failing forward” comes in.

I may not avoid soft drinks totally today – but I can have one and not eight.

I may not get in a full hour of exercise – but 20 mins is better than nothing as even 20 mins moves me closer to my healthy body goal.

I may not read 50 pages today but I can read 10.

And on and on it goes.

By day’s end, I can celebrate because I HAVE moved the needle closer to FULL TANK, closer to THE BEST I can be, closer to all I want to be. I may not have done as much as I hoped but I have always done something and that my friends is failing forward.

In my world, failing is not a word to be avoided for it is not a negative – it is a learning experience. Mom would say, “Take the lesson, leave the rest” and I like to add in “And always do your best to fail forward.”

Food for thought …

No beating yourself up required.

 

I love you my friend!
HUGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Sandi