The difference between success and failure is a decision

Successful people are more willing to fail than unsuccessful people

Are successful people really more successful? The answer, contrary to popular belief is no. Successful people actually fail more than average people and that is in part why they are so successful. The truth is successful people are more willing to endure failure then unsuccessful people. There is a certain tenacity that comes from being willing to fail over and over again to achieve something. This tenacity comes from developing a resilient mindset and the inner resources to keep on keeping on.

One of the fundamental differences in mindset between successful people and unsuccessful people is their ability to endure failure and continue to hold their vision of what they want to achieve. This ability to endure failure comes from their strong belief that regardless of how many times they fail they are still worthy of achieving what they desire. For most people continually failing causes them to adopt the belief that they are a failure as a human being. The difference between people that succeed and people that fail is not failure it’s the difference between two fundamental decisions:

Decision 1. I failed therefore I am a failure as a human being

Decision 2. I failed therefore I am willing to keep trying and learn from my failures

This simple, but dramatic decision, is what determines your fundamental core belief and your feelings of worthiness. As soon as you make this decision, you look for evidence in your life that confirms this belief and that creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.  

Failure is not the problem, it’s the belief that because we failed we are a failure as a person that is the problem. Every person that is seen by the world as a big success has failed many times and if they want to continue to grow they have to be willing to fail many more times as they grow to greater levels of influence. Thomas Edison failed 1000 times before he successfully invented the light bulb and when he was asked by a reporter what it felt like to fail 1000 times he said “I didn’t fail 1000 times. The light bulb was an invention with a 1000 steps.”

Michael Jordan, who is considered to be one of the greatest basket ballers of all time, when asked about his success he said; “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games, 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and I missed. 
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.”

This demonstrates that people that achieve amazing things against amazing odds actually fail as much as and even more than the average person. The big difference is they don’t see failure as confirmation that they are a failure as a person they see it as a stepping stone to learn something new, to growth and bettering themselves. In spite of the frustration of continually failing they still manage to pick themselves up off the floor and keep trying. They own and fully embrace their failures which allows them to turn failure into a stepping stone on the path to success.

To me this serves as a reminder of the importance of mindset and psychology, when it comes to achieving meaningful results in our life regardless of what it is. No matter how big or small the goal, mindset and psychology are pivotal to success. It also busts the myth that successful people don’t fail, which is a commonly held belief.

When you know that failure is a prerequisite to success it allows you to let go of your excuses, drop your expectations of perfection and keep marching to the beat of your own drum towards greater levels of success.

Which decision do you make? How willing are you to fail? Does your self-worth get effected by your failures?

Let me help you assess your response to failure and how to change it, so you can feel confident and excited about your life. To book a FREE Emotional Coaching Online Session click here or come to one of our amazing and life changing workshops, where you can experience how horses can help you gain insight and self-confidence.