5 Keys To Overcome Failure
If you've ever been rejected, laughed at, or scorned for your dreams, then you know a thing or two about failure. Failure is one of those things that people just don't take seriously enough. For example; it's hard to see the positive in someone else's failure when you're constantly bombarded with the hardships of your own. While previously I was very quick to judge other people's failures and write them off as the result of their own dumb mistakes, I used this experience to realize how important it is not only to embrace failure but also learn from it and grow stronger for it.
Through years of studying the top performers in any field, psychoanalyst, business' success gurus and generally intelligent people, I've seen that people who are able to look away from failure (and not be too hard on themselves for it) inevitably reach the heights of their profession. In fact, I could name you dozens of examples of people who've overcome their failures and in turn become extremely successful. Now don't get me wrong here: there are many different kinds of failures out there. And some people have failed repeatedly over a period of time due to several different circumstances. But for the purpose of this article I'll try my best to stick with adversity-driven failures.
Abigail Roberts, the 8 year old girl who got rejected from America's Got Talent, grew up to become a renowned opera singer.
Marilyn Monroe was once fired from an aspiring actress at the age of 20.
And let's not forget about Tom Hanks. He was passed up for 17 auditions before he landed his first role in "Splash." And I'm sure you've all heard of the intern who taunted Mark Zuckerberg on his first day as a Facebook employee.
The point here is that failure is not always a permanent thing. It's something that can be overcome with hard work, perseverance, and time (if your dreams aren't easily ruled out by society). So if you've had a difficult time with failure, I urge you to study the things that successful individuals have done to overcome their own. Below you'll find 5 of my favorite books that can help point you in the right direction of success and overcome failure:
1. Treat Your Anxiety As a Friend
What's the main reason why we fail? Lack of motivation? Bad luck? Not enough hard work? The answer is none of these. The main reason why we fail is because we're afraid of failing. Our natural human instinct tells us to take the path of least resistance, so when failures do come our way we back off, ultimately falling short on our goals.
In "The Obstacle is the Way," author Ryan Holiday teaches us how to use failure (rather than avoid it) as a tool for achieving success. As he puts it, "how you react to obstacles, whether you see them as barriers or opportunities, is what separates those who achieve from those who don't."
A great source of inspiration.
The stories and anecdotes are especially fun to read. Many of these illustrate how our constant fear of failure holds us back from anything and everything, even if we do get a chance at experiencing success. Seeing how these stories are related in such ways that they show all of us how to overcome our fears is inspiring. I only wish that this book was longer and had more examples. (On the other hand, if the stories were too long it would lose its appeal to read.)
2. The Power of Positive Thinking
Who doesn't love a bit of positive thinking? I know I do. This is a type of motivation that we don't see too often in books, but it's still an essential part of our daily lives. In "The Power of Positive Thinking," Norman Vincent Peale shares with us his own methods for overcoming failure, as well as teaches us how to think positively about ourselves and our goals.
"The first step towards success," he says, "is a proud and positive conviction that something can be done. Don't wait for luck or some other force to deliver your wish. You are the captain of your Fate, so take command of your thoughts and direct them in your direction."
This book is especially useful for people who have a hard time with motivation and self-confidence. This book will teach you how to stay motivated and trying when you're feeling discouraged about yourself or your future success. In fact, I even recommend this book to anyone who is considering pursuing a career in writing. Sure, it's an obvious choice, but it's still an important aspect of any writer's life that too many people overlook.
The information here is applicable universally to those who want to achieve anything.
3. The Power of Habit
The main idea behind this book is that success is a direct result of our habits. In other words, not only can habits be broken, but they can also be created from scratch. This is one of the books that helped me most to overcome failure and delay my personal goals for as much as possible.
This book talks about the importance of developing new habits and creating new routines in order to succeed in life. And for this purpose, it includes numerous examples of people in different walks of life who did just that. It talks about how habit creation and habit formation is something that you need to constantly keep in mind.
I changed my habits and routines many times before I became more focused, calm and driven with my writing career. And the thing I find most interesting is that no matter what your goal may be, you can use the information found in this book to help you reach it.
4. The Miracle Morning
"The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod then takes the idea of habit further than just developing new habits and forming new routines; it teaches us how to wake up early each day and feel great as soon as we wake up.
Conclusion
I got this book after reading a review of it that was written by my brother on a website called The Writer's Block. It's a website where people are able to write comments about books they've read, and my brother wrote a very positive remark about "The Miracle Morning" saying that he'd enjoyed doing just that.
After picking up the book, I became immediately interested in reading it because I knew that it would be full of positive energy and strategies to help me become more productive each and every day.
This book has helped me to develop more valuable habits in life: waking up early, exercising, eating right (I know this sounds silly but trust me), and generally getting more rest than I do now.