[IOTD][#5] Redefine: failure

Kent Nguyen
Sep 6, 2018 · 2 min read

You might be running a 100-people company or $MM-revenue company and yet there is always a feeling that something is missing, you have not achieved enough.

Everyone is afraid of failure and everyday we do stuff to push ourselves further away from failure. However defining “failure” is as difficult as defining “success” itself. By popular belief, if you are successful, then you are not a failure; and if you failed, then you did not succeed.

I fell into the same trap, the social conditioning trap. I was the one who was guilty of running 100-people company and yet felt it wasn’t enough.

Let me offer you a perspective, hopefully you can make an escape from your own thought prison.

What if: failure is just another task among all your accomplishments?

When I saw my failure this way, it was incredibly relieved. Because if it is a task, I can simply solve it like any other problems. Isolated problem. It does not have to affect other matters I need to deal with on daily basis.

It does not have to end, it does not have to be resolved, you just need to continuously work on it and be happy about the progress being made. Myself, still guilty, I have never gotten a chance to really solve my ‘failure’, the company was acquired and several other consequences followed.

washing dishes used to be one of my failure, no anymore

Nevertheless, what I’ve learnt, I applied to my entire life. I redefined failure in my relationships, social networking skill, even housework skill… and then slowly one by one I acted on it without thinking I’m a failure.

As usual it is easier said then done with most mindset-shifting ideas. Take your time and make your own version.

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