There are two types of failure:
TYPE A: You try. You fail. You learn from it. You try again. This isn’t really failure. This is Learning and Growing.
TYPE B: You try. You fail. You don’t learn from it. Or you learn the wrong lessons. THIS is Failure: Trying to make the unworkable work.
The hard part is this: When you’re in the thick of it, with muddy boots, a scratched up face and torn coat, it can be hard to tell if you’re Learning or Failing.
So here are some observations from my own experiences both Learning and Failing to help you do more of the former and less of the latter.
– When you pride yourself based on who you associate with, you’re Failing.
– When your pride flows from an Inner Knowing that you’re doing what you should do when you should do it, you’re Growing.
– When you’re trying to automate a sales process you can’t do manually or one-on-one, you’re Failing.
– When you struggle to convert prospects again and again, but each time you reflect and try something new, you’re Learning.
– When you’re trying to be the person other people expect you to be, you’re probably Failing.
– When you’re slowing down and figuring out what you really want first, you’re Growing.
– When you’re looking for the Right Way to Succeed, you’re probably Failing.
– When you’re studying the principles to understand why things work when they do and don’t when they don’t, you’re Learning.
– When you’re flitting from one info product or teacher to another, and never really mastering what any of them can teach you, you’re Failing.
– When you read, listen, and apply what you learned from one teacher before going on to another, you’re Growing.
– When you’re worried that you are inadequate in some important way, you are Failing.
– When you know that the mind game is to see how far you’ve come – and not how far you still need to go – then you’re Learning.
– When you compare yourself to someone who’s been in the game much longer than you, you’re Failing.
– Again, when you compare yourself to where you’ve been yesterday, you’re Growing.
– When you expect it should be easy, when you seek ease over excellence, comfort over mastery – you’re Failing.
– When you expect to be challenged, to be chewed up and spit out a few times before you conquer that next hill… you’re Learning.
– When you’re trying to make big leaps, you’re probably Failing.
– When you’re putting one foot in front of the other, setting targets you believe are achievable and pursuing them relentlessly, you’re Growing.
– When you’re trying to do it all yourself, you’re probably Failing.
– When you surround yourself with people who are on the same path as you and you learn from each other and hold each other to a higher standard, you’re Growing.
– When you believe the talking heads on TV, you’re probably Failing.
– When you ignore them and believe those who have done what you want to be doing, you’re Learning.
– When you avoid conversations that make you uncomfortable, you’re probably Failing.
– When you take a deep breath and confront people with respect, you’re Growing.
– When you think the problem is your wife, you’re Failing.
– When you realize you’re probably guilty of the same and more, you’re Learning.
– When you take responsibility for things you can not control, you’re probably Failing.
– When you take full responsibility for the things you can control, you’re Growing.
– When you’re trying to sell to people you don’t deeply understand and don’t honestly care about, you’re Failing.
– When you care so much that you can’t help but be deeply, passionately interested in the people you’re selling to, you’re Learning.
– When you fear man and forget God, you’re Failing.
– When you remember that you are here to serve God by helping your fellow man, you’re Growing.
– When you hold others to a higher standard than you hold yourself, you’re Failing.
– When you hold yourself to a higher standard than you hold others, you’re Learning.
– When you think that selling is something you do to others, and that your job is to ‘get’ them to buy, you’re probably Failing.
– When you understand that sales is nothing but leadership, you’re Growing.
– When you’re busy, busy, busy and not making time to think deeply about what you really, really want… you’re Failing.
– When you regularly make time to reflect. To think. To ponder. To question…. you’re Learning.
I’ve made all these mistakes and more.
And the greatest gift is to become aware of them, so we can learn the lessons and keep on moving.
Agree? Then please click the share button and pass it on!
Dov Gordon
