Darin Simms

Failure is temporary, but it can permeate a life. Most of us have had numerous failures in our lives and when we choose to focus in the failures rather than the successes, we can find ourselves n a dark place. Repeated failure could mean that we need better knowledge, better skill, or better strategy. Too often, rather than trying to gain what we are lacking to succeed, we try the same things over and over or we quit.

My failures have haunted me for most of my life. I thought (and often still think) that failure is a reflection of me. Regardless of my successes in life, I often think that I am a failure. I use failure as a way to identify myself as a person. This leads to a mindset that expects failure and is surprised by success.

Failures diminish confidence and the more often I fail, the less confident I am that I can become successful at any endeavor. Without confidence, the will to attempt anything weakens. The expectations to produce anything worthwhile are lowered. This can lead to a sense of despair and eventually loneliness or depression.

Is there a better way to face failure without the leadership mantras, the sports analogies, movie quotes, or the pop psychology one liners? Here is a list (mostly unoriginal) of five things we can do when we face failure.​

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