Why Failure Is An Option

We have to fail to succeed – one of life’s great lessons, as Kelly M explains. Read more from Kelly on her blog, Lost in a Snow Filled Sky.

“Failure is a stepping-stone to greatness.”-Oprah Winfrey

I don’t know when I subscribed to her email list, but I’ve been getting emails from Oprah every day for the past couple of weeks.  These emails contain some thoughts of the day and self-improvement tips.  I have heard Oprah say many times to listen to the tiny whispers and that failure are God’s little whispers.

Failure is a prerequisite to success.

Life Coach Erica Diamond Editor-In-Chief of Women on the Fence was interviewed in an OWNShow video called Tiny Invisible Signs You Are On the Wrong Path. Here are some of her tips.  Listen to your instincts. They are the tiny whispers Oprah talks about. Use your gut along with the intellect. So many times people ignore that gut reaction when they shouldn’t. And my favorite, failure is a prerequisite to success. So many of the most successful people in the world have failed many times and that just makes them stronger and more determined.

“Failure is an option, fear is not.” -James Cameron

A second video that comes on immediately after the Tiny Invisible Signs Your On The Wrong Path is called Reasons People Keep Failing At Resolutions. Interviewed during this video are  TV Host Leeza Gibbons, Olympian Carmelita Jeter and Comedian Erin Darling. Each of them had some great tips for approaches to setting goals.

• Writing them down month by month.
• Visualize your success. Another way to say this is “Claim it!” Whenever I told my mother I wanted something, she would always say “Claim it!” Make it yours and it will happen.
• Have fun and just let it go.  Don’t beat yourself up when something doesn’t go the way you wanted it to. I have trouble with this one.

Some tips on how to reach your goals are:

• Take them week by week or day by day. Slow and steady wins the race,
• Have small and realistic goals. Don’t try to do too much at one time. You will be overwhelmed and will then give up.
• Be patient because sometimes it will take longer than you want to get to your goal.  Another one I have a problem with.
• Failing isn’t permission to give up.

I’m so glad I watched these videos.  Accomplishing your goals is definitely a process.  I have to learn how not to beat myself up, be more patient and just let go and have fun.

Do you believe that you have to fail to succeed? Do you believe failure is an option? What steps do you take in achieving your goals? Are any of them listed here? Please leave me a comment below.  I would love to here your story.