Failure is your best friend
The orgasm of optimization
Failure teaches you a unique lesson that no one else can: you must optimize to get better. There is no other way.
But it’s actually a beautiful thing to realize that there is a better way to do something that you were doing wrong for so long. When I think about how many times my daily routines have changed, how many times I’ve had to optimize it to suit my ever changing life style, I kinda remind myself of a crazy person. Sometimes I’ll spend an hour just moving things around, adding tasks, editing this and that — it’s a little obsessive but it’s worked out so well for me so far.
I literally get off on finding new ways to make my life easier. And when I realize that doing a certain task at a different time maximizes the outcome, I actually cannot describe the pleasure of released endorphins when that optimization works out!
I can’t be alone in how good this feels. (Write in the comments section bellow your experiences of optimization orgasms, or how you have had to move things around to make them work out better and it made you feel so damn good!)
I hope i haven’t made you uncomfortable, growth is just so sexy to me.
And I don’t believe that I’ll ever stop learning, ever stop growing, because the belief that you know everything there is to know is arrogant.
Be humble, learn, optimize.
Cliche alert
The thing about journeys is that it isn’t about the destination or the end result, but it is about the lessons you learn along the way that help you deal with similar obstacles that you may face in the future. I used to think this was just a lame motivation poster, but I have come to realize what power and freedom this kind of thinking gives you.
Now, when i make a mistake, I don’t beat myself up, but I immediately make a note, so that I can tackle this at the appropriate time. I optimize to make sure I don’t make the same mistake again.
And what happens if it happens again? Well, you guessed it, I optimize it again. I optimize the hell out of it until it works out in my favor.
I mean, what’s the alternative? To just give up, throw my hands in the air and say ‘it’s not for me’? Or just hope that it will somehow work itself out? Sorry, not my style.
It’s one of the reasons why I love debate. The thrill and rush of constructive arguing challenges your mind to think of all sides of an argument, to put yourself in the shoes of the person you debate with, and the pleasure of being able to use their logic against them. But I actually love it when I am wrong because you learn a new way thinking about something, you become enlightened from your ignorance.
You’ve literally optimized your brain to think better(Man! I love that word so much I could marry it)
Remember, evolving is paramount to growth. Success becomes the symptom. Yes, it can be discouraging to see how far you’ve gone only to realize you have further to go, but honestly, where are you in such a hurry to go to? We all end up in the ground at the end of the day.
Do you know what’s at the top of this mountain you are begging to reach? Boredom. That is all that awaits, because there is noting more interesting than a challenge to learn, a challenge to apply what you learn. Have you ever played a game you are so good at that the toughest enemies are so easy to beat that the game begins to lose its appeal?
Well my friend, life is that game.
This piece was written to encourage us to learn from our mistakes, make the needed changes so that we can keep going. Because we are only human after all.
If you enjoyed reading hit the “clap” button, and the “follow” button to stay tuned for more encouraging content.
Thanks for reading Writers Guild — A Smedian publication
Write for us. Share your stories on ManyStories.com to reach more readers. Auto-tweet your stories on repeat with Signal to increase engagement.
