Have you failed at something recently? Is it hard for you to let people see you fail even if it’s just a small personal achievement? I struggle with both of these things. There’s one big problem: I don’t like letting myself fail because I don’t want to look bad in front of others. Society conditions us this way. It makes us dependent on the approval of others so that we can feel good about ourselves. We tend to spend more time trying to achieve this approval than actually accomplishing anything from the heart.
When is it okay to fail?
You should get comfortable with failure so that it doesn’t seem like the first thing that comes to mind when you have an idea for a game.
That’s a tough question. Even if you fail at something, if you can still see the challenge as a learning opportunity, it can still be a valuable experience. We should get comfortable with failure so that it doesn’t seem like the first thing that comes to mind when you have an idea. This is why I believe rejection is part of the creative process and something that shouldn’t be feared. Reframe the rejection as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself. Watch it as a way to strengthen your resolve when you do face rejections in the future. Accepting that you are going to fail is the first step. This means that you’ll know to take some time to learn from the failure and move forward. With failure comes opportunity.
Why do we fear failure?
Fear of failure is a common source of anxiety and stress. We fear it because it shakes our belief in the future. We feel the impact of failure when it actually happens — the moment we blow a chance, our hearts race and our palms become sweaty. We’re embarrassed and ashamed — not only for what we failed at but also because we let ourselves get fooled by someone or something.
Fear of failure can prevent us from taking action, getting inspired, saving money, growing or improving ourselves. But fear of failure is nothing to be afraid of because it is a natural part of growing. We must have faith in our abilities or risk failing at our jobs, being loved, and being productive. Fear of failure can be paralyzing, making us complacent and stupid. But fear of failure shouldn’t paralyze you; it should encourage you to take action. In fact, learning to embrace failure is one of the most important things you can do to become successful — and, arguably, the most important thing you’ll ever do
How do we embrace rejection?
Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you get rejected by someone, and it breaks your heart. This happens all the time, and it’s normal to feel a little stupid and unwanted sometimes. What we need to do is learn how to handle rejection gracefully. By grace, I mean accepting that a lot of things in life will never work out and accept the fact that others may make mistakes.
Find a way to take the risk even if it means taking a step back from your goals for a while. As long as there’s an opportunity, you’re going to take that step. Let’s say you’ve accepted the fact that rejection is part of life and now you’re ready to move on from trying new things, then the next step is figuring out how to move past the rejection (and the feelings of disappointment, anger, frustration and fear that accompany it).
How do we get past our fear of rejection?
By exploring how we get past our fear of rejection, you can give yourself permission to take risks and embrace innovation. Rejection is normal and occurs in every aspect of life. It’s part of being bold and confident. Hear stories of real people who learned to love failure — and how they benefited from it. From Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, and Albert Einstein to Bill Gates, Ralph Lauren, and Tina Fey, some of the most famous people in history are also well-known for their “rejection stories”. Learn how others overcame their rejections and fear of failure. If we can embrace rejection, we can design their own life and not just drift along like a leaf on the river.
Conclusion
It does not matter whether you are trying to land that first job or if you want to get published by a major magazine; rejection is inevitable in every industry. Everyone has to start somewhere and that means facing the reality of being denied certain opportunities.
Just how do we go about embracing failure? By changing our outlook, learning what it feels like to be good at failing, practising with small risks, building self-confidence by looking at whom we admire and having a growth mindset. By embracing failure as part of the journey and getting back up when you hit the floor, you can finally achieve the success you really want.
