Have you ever walked up to a smokin’ hot girl at the bar, been rejected, and it just killed your night?
Have you ever walked out of an interview knowing you screwed up and weren’t going to get the job?
Have you ever taken a course in college that completely whooped your ass, and you ended up failing?
If you’re a human being, you’ve probably experienced at least ONE of the situations above. And being that you’re human, I bet I can guess how you felt after all those things happened:
Like a complete FAILURE.
You beat yourself up, put yourself down, and allowed yourself to feel like shit.
But you shouldn’t have. Why…?
NEWS FLASH: This happens to everyone -- it’s a part of life.
We set high expectations and goals in life, and when we come up short, we’re quick to put ourselves down. But the fact is life is challenging...and NOT meeting our expectations and goals is a hard pill to swallow.
Here’s the truth: If you expect to walk up to the plate and hit a home run every time, you’re living in a perfectly unrealistic world. Problem is, we live in a society that believes failure is a bad thing. As a result, we find excuses to avoid ever trying again.
Next thing you know, you’re telling yourself you’re incapable of talking to the next hot prospect, getting the next awesome job, or retaking that class that kicked your ass the first time...
**THIS NEEDS TO STOP. **
To fail at something does not make you a failure -- it just means you need to change your approach on the NEXT try.. But do you know what DOES make you a failure?
When you give up and never try again.
See, failing is just an opportunity to learn. You know what I call that?
A small win.
Small wins are learning experiences. They get you THAT much closer to your desired outcome. Here are 10 everyday failures that are actually small wins. Don’t blow your next chance to learn from them next time they come around:
1. Today was your anniversary and you forgot all about it.
Tell her you're sorry, get some roses as a temporary fix, and plan something for the near future to make it up to her. More importantly: SET A CALENDAR EVENT OR REMINDER. Like, RIGHT NOW.
2. She dumped you for another guy.
This one stings, but again...did you learn from it? Stop thinking about the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” (but didn’t). The past is the past. Take these experiences and apply them to the next relationship, that way you can expect better results.
3. You bombed the interview.
We’ve all had that one interview where we couldn’t handle the pressure and crumbled. Don’t beat yourself up for it! Now you know how to prepare better for the next one.
4. You didn't last long enough in bed.
So you finished earlier than expected. Just because you’re juiced out doesn't mean your hands and mouth don’t work. Moreover, hit the gym! Not only will you perform better, you will look better as well. Plus, pretty sure coming early is a big compliment to your girl, am I right? (“babe, you’re just so hot”)...
5. You got fired from your job.
Now you feel degraded and worthless. Get over it -- IT ALREADY HAPPENED! Put on your big boy pants and find a new one. Pouting about it won't get you a new job, but being active will. Besides, I’ll bet ANY money that once you find a new, BETTER job, you’ll wonder why you cared so much about the old one.
6. Your boss or manager yelled at you.
Yes, being yelled at never feels good, but did you learn from your mistake? If so, now you know what NOT to do so that doesn't happen again.
7. You failed a class.
Think all your hard work went to waste? Wrong. You already have all the material from the class, so you're two steps ahead when you retake it. Major advantage...
8. A girl immediately rejects you at the bar.
Sure, it sucks to be rejected. But guess what, you didn’t waste your precious time talking to a girl who’s not interested. Now you have MORE time to find the right girl...NEEEXT!
9. You cheated...on your diet.
You caved in and ate a Big Mac from McDonald's. Now, you feel like a fatass and don’t think you have the strength to continue your diet. But don’t stop now! You’ve just been presented with an opportunity to find out what triggers you to eat poorly — don’t pass it up. This will make it 10x easier to stick to your diet moving forward.
10. Started smoking cigarettes again.
Yes, nicotine is an asshole, but you can overcome this bad habit. Don’t start up again just because you had ONE set back. If anything, this was a sign that whatever you’re doing isn’t working — it’s just time to switch up your approach to quitting. (P.S. I believe in you, bro. YOU CAN DO THIS.)
There are about 10,000 more everyday failures that are small wins, so what are you waiting for?
Aren’t you sick of tallying up your losses? It’s only bringing you down.
Fill your life with small wins instead of big failures, and you’ll start seeing positive changes in yourself.