Why You Should Fail More

Last March, I was at the ONE2 Conference in Clemson, SC, a faith-based conference for college students that some friends and I lead. Midway through the event, a panel of business leaders took the stage and began sharing college experiences that helped shape them into who they are today. One of the leaders had this to say to all of the college students in the room: Get your failure rate up.

…………………………………huh?

What in the world does that mean? You really want me to go out there and intentionally fail at something? Bruh….

I don’t think that’s what he meant though. He was driving at something a little deeper.

This is what he was saying: Experiencing failure is essential to growth.

When I was a senior in high school, I heard a college admissions counselor say, “If you get into every college you apply to, you aren’t reaching far enough”. Though you may not be accepted into an Ivy League school (and I certainly wouldn’t have), by not even bothering to apply you are already making the school’s decision for yourself- no! By at least taking a swing, there’s a chance you might get a hit.

It never feels good to fail. It bruises our ego and alters the way we view ourselves, if we let it. But that’s key in all of this- keeping a healthy perspective on failure.

I’ve had to teach myself that failure does not:

• Alter who I am
• Change the way I define myself
• Decrease my worth as a human being

When you get those things off the table, I’ve found that there is so much freedom to enjoy. I’m free to fail, because it has no bearing on who I am or how I define myself (and neither do my successes).

So how far are you reaching? How often do you apply to the “Harvards” of life?

The point here is not to intentionally fail or do something unwise and foolish. It’s about combining our natural abilities, passions, and ambitions while taking frequent trips outside of our comfort zone.

So how do you get your failure rate up? Here are some suggestions:

 1) Set a goal that scares you.

I’ve used this example several times on my blog and it’s an experience that has dramatically impacted the way I view risk taking and the fear of failure. During the fall of my junior year of high school, I set a goal to be the punter on my school’s football team my senior year. The thought of joining the team, having never played organized football, scared me to death. But I went for it. Some games I played well, others I failed miserably. But if it weren’t for setting the goal in the first place, I would have never gained the valuable experience of stepping out of my comfort zone.

2) Do something that people say can’t be done.

I’m not talking about putting a man on the moon, or breaking down racial barriers like MLK, or anything else groundbreaking and profound. I’m talking about opportunities that exist where we are right now. Last semester, one of my friends was telling me about a homework problem we both had to do for our finance class. He was going on and on and on about how impossible it was and how I might as well not even attempt it.

I tried it. And I failed about 6 times. But I finally figured it out. Not because I was smarter or better, but simply because I bothered to at least give it a shot. I got a 45 on the problem, but it was better than a zero.

Take that class that everyone says is hard, because you know you will learn so much. Apply for that internship that everyone says is too competitive. Run for a leadership position in your campus or Greek organization that everyone else is going for. You aren’t guaranteed success, but you are guaranteed experience.

There are plenty of things in life that people say can’t be done. If it’s a worthwhile endeavor, why not take a swing at it?

 3) See challenges as opportunities.

When faced with a challenge or a disappointing turn of events, Michael Hyatt encourages leaders to ask, “What does this make possible?” Anyone can see challenges as setbacks and dwell on the negative. But to grow, we must view challenges in light of the opportunities and possibilities they provide us.

 4) Be like Tom Petty.

A while back, I was telling one of my roommates about a goal of mine. Sitting there in one of the dining halls, I jokingly said to him, “I think the way to accomplish it is pretty simple. I just have to be like Tom Petty.”

He gave me a blank stare for a second.

What? Be like Tom Petty? Go free fallin’ out into nothing?

Nope. Wrong song. “I Won’t Back Down” is the one we’re looking for. Be like Tom Petty and don’t back down from the things that scare you. You might fail, and that’s okay. You’ll gain valuable and useful experience either way.

 

How do you plan to get your failure rate up this semester?