Failing, and why you need it
Failure. A word that we place such negative associations with that we’ll do anything to avoid it. For some, the fear of failure is so great that it leads to never even trying. The thought process is, “I’m so embarrassed by failure, that by not even trying, I’ll avoid the feeling of embarrassment and/or defeat.” This is the mindset that leads to a life of mediocracy. You do what comes easy, never really applying yourself or testing the waters of what you are truly capable of. If this appeals to you, then by all means continue along the path that is worn and free of obstacles. If you fall into this category you can stop reading right here, for what follows do not apply to your way of life. Should you prefer the rugged path, hidden by overgrowth and unknown destinations, read on.
So why do you need failure? First, you need to disassociate any negative connotations you have attached to the word. Stop thinking of failure as a bad thing or an end-all. The first BENEFIT to failure is that each time you fail you are awarded with a life lesson. If you try running a business one way, and it fails miserably, you still WIN. You come out the other end a better person, knowing now a way that doesn’t work, and bringing you one step closer to one that will work. It is said that Thomas Edison attempted over 10,000 trials before arriving at a solution for a commercially feasible incandescent lightbulb. Try, learn, revise, try again.
Failure Benefit #1: You are rewarded with life lessons each time.
The second benefit to failing is that you discover what you are truly capable of. Fitness-wise, if you come into the gym every day and lift the exact same amount of weight, do you really know how much you are capable of lifting? Not unless you eventually hit that point of failure. You can then start keeping a log of the heaviest weight you can lift and make a goal to increase it. This tactic applies in just about every area outside of the gym as well. Give 100% in everything you do. Stop half-assing work by spending half the day playing on your phone. Stop doing whatever it is that prevents you from giving it your all. If you do this, you’ll start pushing into those outer echelons of what was previously thought to be impossible.
Failure Benefit #2: You discover the bounds of what is possible.
Thirdly, after failing over and over again, your fear of fear (sounds odd right?) will begin to diminish. Many people avoid going after what they want simply because of their fear of failure. They don’t pursue that new job, because what if they fail? They don’t go after that college degree, because what if they fail a class? They don’t start working out, because what if someone makes fun of them? Instead of thinking about the worst-case scenario, starting thinking about the positive aspects. Make a list of what you would like to achieve. Next to each, write a sentence or two of how it will change your life when you achieve it. Focus on the positive outcome instead of thinking about every little thing that could go wrong.
Failure Benefit #3: Fear loses its meaning.
Thanks for reading. Just in time for spring, we’re releasing a slew of new workout programs this Wednesday (March 15th). Be sure to check out the Max Fortitude Fitness website on Wednesday to see how your life can transform for the better. Follow our Facebook and Twitter pages for more articles and workouts.
-JG
