History tells us that failure is inevitable. That’s how people learn. That’s how societies thrive and grow. If we know that failure is inevitable, then we also know that unexpected events overtake us all. Accept the realities of life. Things happen. And you are not the only exception. Once you realize this, then every failure is just a step towards your objective.
The danger is this: if you have a pattern of failure, and you don’t put in the effort to get out of it.
You have to determine your pattern of failure. You may be repeating the same failure over and over again. You have to be conscious of this pattern, and you need to confuse and break it. If you were habitually late, how do you break it? By intentionally creating a break in the middle. Wake up for that single day you decide to confuse the pattern and be there 15 minutes early. Is your work making you bored and demotivated? Then take control of your boredom and find things that are satisfying with it.
Secondly, diagnose and cure. Be very curious about why you are stuck in this pattern. Ask for professional mentorship, especially from those who have experienced the same type of failure. Once you have diagnosed it properly, then have that conscious effort to change, whether it is your attitude, your habit or your circumstances. I cannot stress it more: Diagnose, diagnose, and diagnose. Sometimes, it is also a good idea to ask someone close to you to tell you honestly if he sees this pattern of yours. A third-party perspective helps you diagnose without bias.
Did you know that if the sun came even 1 inch closer to Earth, it will burn us all to a crisp? When you repeat small poor judgements, it compounds into catastrophic results. If you create a good habit that you do a little each day, it compounds into great results. Do not underestimate small degrees of change. Be who you want to be by developing good habits a day at a time. If it’s hard to change, change your environment. It’s easier to eat healthier when only healthy food is around. Remove any sensory cues that can make you fall into the pattern of failure.
REFLECT: Think about a failure in your life and see if it has become a pattern. Think of ways to break free.