How many times have you tried something and said to yourself, “I have no natural talent for this — onto the next thing,” and abandoned whatever you were doing? Sometimes it’s not a big deal. Perhaps you don’t have an aptitude for golf, cooking or understanding 19th century literature. But — maybe you had a great idea that didn’t catch on or you felt you had a talent for something that didn’t work out, and you let those failures stop you from trying again. If so, you’re like most people. However, those who end up successful don’t see their failures as the end; they see each one as the dead end of a road. They know they just need to back-up, turn around and try another route.
Those Who Tried Again
“What’s the big deal? It doesn’t matter if I fail, I’ll just go do something else,” you think. Well, maybe the thing you’re walking away from is the still your purpose; your reason for being here. Early failures are simply designed to get you to where you need to be.
Take a look at some of those people who refused to give up:
Sir James Dyson – Probably the greatest example of sticking-to-itiveness that exists. The creator of revolutionary Dyson vacuum failed 5,126 times over 15 years before getting his prototype bagless cleaner correct.
Albert Einstein – An average patent clerk who didn’t start speaking until he was four or reading until he was seven. The Nobel Prize winner who helped us understand our place in the universe was thought to be mentally handicapped as a youngster.
Jerry Seinfeld – While the stage seems like a second home to him, the first time he got on stage, he froze. The audience booed him off stage before he could even perform his act. Instead, he returned to that stage the next night.
Elvis Presley – Known only as a young, good-looking gospel singer, Elvis was largely an unknown when he was hired to sing at the Grand Ole Opry. He was fired after his first performance and told he “wasn’t going anywhere.”
Charles Darwin was a poor student.
Michael Jordan couldn’t make his high school basketball team.
Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting when he was alive.
Stephen King’s first book was rejected by 30 publishers.
Dr. Seuss was rejected by 27.
Abraham Lincoln was demoted in the military from captain to private.
Steven Spielberg was rejected twice by USC film school.
Tom Brady was drafted as a second-string quarterback.
What would the world be like if these people had quit their career ambitions after their first, second or 5,000th failure?
You’re Never Too Old
You can stay in a job you’re unhappy with, and most people do. Those are the people you see on the train and stuck in gridlock in their car looking like zombies or soldiers off to fight in a war they know they can’t win. But they’re comfortable. They know what they’re doing. If nothing else, they probably won’t fail because they’ve already given up on making their lives better.
If you claim you’re too old or too far along to achieve the kind of success you want, that’s a poor excuse.
Take a look at how age didn’t stop these people.
Ray Kroc didn’t buy his first McDonald’s until he was 50.
Rodney Dangerfield was 46 before he ever appeared on TV.
Sam Walton didn’t open his first Wal-Mart until he was 44 and a famous chef.
Julia Child, famous chef, was 51 when her first cookbook was printed.
These people “failed” for more than half their lives before encountering success; but that’s a self-defeating way to think about it. Being miserable 8–10 hours a day is no way to live. Plenty of opportunities await you to achieve the success you want. If what’s holding you back is failure, go back and look at that list of impressive people.
Imagine how the world would be different if people let failure stop them.
Feeling anxious about the likelihood of failing happens to everyone — but everybody fails. The way you get over it is to back up, look for a different road to take and recognize that you’re now smarter and better for having experienced the disappointment. You also try not to repeat the mistakes you made along the way.
Consider dropping me a line for a complimentary session where we can talk about how your fear of failure is holding you back. You shouldn’t fear something that is almost guaranteed to happen. What we need to work on is your fear of getting back up and trying again.