F.A.I.L. = Failure Allows Important Learning
If you're anything like me, you've failed...a lot of times:
→Getting pulled over because my license plates are…6 months expired? FAIL ❌
→Cutting the orange right before my toddler decides he wanted to? FAIL ❌
→Promising myself to not over-commit? Chronic FAIL. ❌
And maybe like me, you’ve responded to failures with negative self-talk, allowing you and your day to spiral downwards. I’ve let my failures convince me I can never get anything right. Anyone else?
What if there’s another way to respond to our so-called “failures?”
What if we create a new thought pattern by shifting our perspective and looking at failure as an opportunity to learn something? In doing so, perhaps we can see that we have a choice: We can choose to let these moments turn the day into a crappy one OR we can choose to see that there’s something to gain and perhaps, consciously work towards change.
As a parent (and human), I am choosing to get curious about the growth opportunities or lessons hidden in my “failures”:
→Forgot to renew my plates? ➡️ Oh wow, I didn’t know how easy it is to renew plates online. I’m going to set a reminder
→My toddler strongly communicating he wanted to cut the orange? ➡️ I know my son is exploring his autonomy. It seems like a small thing to me, but it’s actually a big deal for him. I choose to take a deep breath, help him work through these big emotions, and think of ways he can make his own choices throughout the day.
→Over-commit myself? ➡️ Okay, I double booked AGAIN. I want to start saying, “I want to check my calendar and get back to you about that.”
Let’s be honest - these shifts don’t mean I’m sailing off into the sunset never having to deal with the BMV or double booking myself again.
It’s not about being perfect. After all, failures are a necessary part of life and they will happen over and over again. The important thing is to recognize our choice: we can be limited by our “failures” or allow them to be our teachers.
Next time I face a failure, I choose to look for the lesson instead of seeing it as a setback. What do you think you’ll choose?
With gratitude,
Emily
