Failure hurts, but if we fail and try again, is it truly failure? When should you give up and pivot?
Do you know what sucks, when someone says, “yeah, he tried that and he failed. That taught him a lesson.” I think we have to try and learn.
I think people that fail only fail when it’s over. Some people pivot, try something new but take the lessons they learned and build on them. That is what I tried to do but I have to tell you, some lessons make you stay away from something. I think that’s good too.
My wife sometimes says, why did you even try that. It may be food, exercise, a hobby, or something that just doesn’t work out. My answer to her when I stop doing it is, “Well, now I know!”
How do you know you don’t like something or how something will work out if you don’t try. Sometimes I just don’t like doing something. I tried hobbies in the past that I just didn’t enjoy. It’s like when you get a book and it sucks. Do you continue to read it and waste more time? Do you set it down and move on? This is a judgment call and is different for each person.
Hobbies like books sometimes are more fun if you come back to it later in life. Some books may not be relevant at that time, but maybe a year later you’re doing whatever the book covers, so you kept it and went back to it to read. Sometimes it’s a movie you see if there’s a book and read the book. It’s fun to compare the book to the movie for so many reasons. Sometimes the movie is better, sometimes not.
However, we should not fear failure. I love the fact we put someone on the moon, learned to fly, traveled across every nation in the world. These were all impossible until they were done. Then more people did it until it was no longer a miracle, but a way of life.
Occasionally something so crazy happens that no one understands but they love it all the same. I think of radio and how it was once something everyone feared. Then along came broadcast radio, then TV, then microwave, then 2 way communications, then your smartphone. I know, I skipped a few things in there but if you want to learn more go to my tech blog, www.wade4wireless.com and learn things.
Looking at wireless, it was impossible until it became something we can’t live without. I know, technically we can, but how many of you look at your smartphone more than once an hour? Case and point!
So sometimes it makes sense to be scared, but if you’re afraid to try something new that is safe, then maybe you should. Just be smart about it. Think about your safety, time, and money before you act. Then if you can try it without getting hurt or going broke, then live a little. Break some barriers.
If you hate it, then you know. But think of the thrill of doing it!! Then you can tell everyone you tried it, even if it was just once.
There are some forms of failure that really hurt. Did you ever get a divorce? I did, and it’s a failure in so many ways that some people never really get over it. You don’t go into a marriage thinking it will fail, but these things happen. It sucks, but maybe you learned more about yourself and what you really want. Now you know.
However, there’s a lot of stuff you could try. That is your personal list and is something that you should decide on yourself. Make it personal.
Just think about these points when trying something new:
- Do you have the time to commit? It’s not about commitment per se, but more about momentum. Give yourself the time to do it and make it something exciting to you personally or make sure the goal outweighs the lost time. It won’t be a waste of time if you enjoy it, then it becomes a fun time.
- Do you have the money to do it? If it’s something at no cost, like walking a mile or two everyday, then you’ve overcome the obvious problems. But, if it’s joining a gym or going parachuting, then make sure you can afford it.
- Is it safe? Parachuting doesn’t sound safe, but if you look at the odds, and make sure you go to a reputable trainer, then you should be good. Make sure you can get some recommendations if possible.
I hope that helps you out. Getting over the fear and laziness can be tough, but if you really want something, then you know you can do it. You just have to build momentum. Besides, how will you know if you don’t try?