Dare to Fail

I recently gave myself a challenge: to fail three times daily.

I know this seems counterintuitive to our usual modus operandi, but there is method to my madness.

Like many of you, I would imagine, I have often been the victim of my own undoing when it comes to setting goals and trying out new ideas. I tend to operate under the process that goes something like this: set a goal, find the perfect way to get there, and then execute. If the process fails, then it means that I and my idea have failed. The end. Game over.

Connected to this process is the overarching mindset that failure is bad. If I don’t succeed, it means that I have done something wrong like not done enough research, executed poorly, had wrong assumptions, etc. But I have recently checked myself on my logic. In fact, I have done a complete 180 and have actually challenged myself to fail at least three times a day.

Not only to admit failure, but to concede that there will be failure, is to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is key to creativity, leadership, and humanity in general. If I am not willing to fail, then I am not willing to genuinely try. If I am afraid of failure, then I will permanently be paralyzed from progress.

School, mentors, and pretty much most of society teach us that the ultimate goal is to have the right answers. Anything else is akin to inadequacy. What they forgot to teach us, though, was that ultimately more important than having the right answers is having the right questions. Rilke knew what he was talking about when he encouraged us to “live the questions” that we might “without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

It’s ok to fail. Failing merely means that I tried. It means that I was brave enough to take a chance. But what I can’t miss is the opportunity to ask why it didn’t work this time so that I can make the right adjustments and try again.

So, my friends. I challenge you. I DARE you. Go and do likewise. Fail and fail valiantly. Fail with gusto. Fail bravely. And when you do, pat yourself on the back because you are no longer among the timid souls who never make the leap from mere dreams to authentic living.