Reflection on Failure: Turning Mistakes Into Growth
So, you failed at something. It happens. That doesn’t mean you aren’t capable. It just means you’re learning.
Why Reflection on Failure Matters
No one comes out of the gate and is perfect at the thing. It’s all a learning process. If you can embrace this notion, your “failures” will become something to celebrate, something you can reflect upon and try to improve.
For most of my life I’ve sat back and watched. I watched as others made the mistakes, grew, made more mistakes, and grew some more. I did this because I had a belief that I could learn from them, their mistakes in order to come out perfect my first time.
I had this story that if I couldn’t do it perfectly the first time, I was worthless, unintelligent, and shouldn’t even try. This held me back from a LOT of things in my life. It also caused me to practice things when no one was around so they couldn’t see all the f-ups and berate me for not being better.
It also gave me a reputation of being pretty amazing…that my “first attempts” were always “so good!” Which reinforced this notion that I couldn’t make mistakes or I would be thought less of.
The problem with this story is that it takes so much more time to actually learn something than if I did it myself, out in the open, with help from the teacher or coach…someone who could see the nuances from the outside and give tips on how to improve.
Lessons Learned Through Reflection on Failure
It’s this reflection, this looking back on what was done and figuring out the nuances to improve that makes mistakes and failures SO VALUABLE! By learning what doesn’t work, you get to experiment and learn what DOES work. If you look back and trace your journey, you will begin to see where you’ve gained strength, knowledge, and experience.
It’s like watching someone learn to read and write. At first the symbols mean nothing, but then you are able to make the distinctions between an A and an N. They are similar in shape but have very different meanings. Sometimes they get written backwards, until your mind, eyes, and fingers solidify the information. But if you don’t write it backwards, you never learn the distinction between R and Я.
And when you are willing to make your mistakes and share your failures, you show others that it’s ok to make their own. You give others permission to experiment with their own life path in order to find out what works for them.
Building Resilience With Reflection on Failure
When you’re able to build your resilience in the face of failure, your growth becomes exponential and more exciting.
Every setback you face holds a lesson, and reflection is how you uncover it. When you take the time to look back, you’ll see the progress, the growth, and the resilience you’ve built along the way.
To help you keep track of those wins and see how far you’ve come, download the Accomplishment Record Template. It’s a simple tool to document your growth and remind yourself that each step forward, even after failure, is proof that you’re moving closer to your BIG Dream.