Learning from Failure: A Key Component of a Growth Mindset
Famed martial artist Bruce Lee once said, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." His words reflect one of the most important aspects of a growth mindset: the importance of practice and repetition. We must struggle, fail, and try again many times before learn something new.
Having a growth mindset doesn't mean that we will never fail, but that we see failure differently. With a fixed mindset, we view failure as the end of something. When we adopt a growth mindset, we see failure as the beginning of a journey. Some journeys will be short and relatively smooth. Others will be long, grueling and difficult with many bumps and wrong turns along the way. With the right mindset, you understand that, no matter what path you are on, if you persist, you will eventually reach your destination. One of the keys to achieving this aspect of a growth mindset is to train yourself to think positively and to seek opportunities for growth when faced with a challenge. |
Stop putting yourself down and giving up. There is a big difference between thinking, "I can't do this," and telling yourself, "I can't do this YET."
Here are a few other mental switches you can make to improve your attitude towards failures and challenges:
Here are a few other mental switches you can make to improve your attitude towards failures and challenges:
Self-Reflection: The Key to Learning from Failure
When you experience a setback, it can be frustrating. Those with fixed mindsets are likely to give up or put themselves down, but with a growth mindset, a failure is an opportunity to learn, and the best way to learn is through a little self-reflection. Try the following journaling activity to help you learn from a past mistake:
IMPORTANT: Self-reflection is also the key to learning from success, so you can also complete the previous journaling activity while focusing on a past success. Taking the time to reflect on what contributed to your success might help you identify important strategies that will help you be successful on future tasks.
- Describe a time when you made a mistake or did something that you regret. Try to record all the important details about the situation.
- What was the mistake that you made?
- Why do you think you made this mistake?
- How did making this mistake make you feel?
- If you could go back in time and correct your mistake, what would you do differently?
- What did you learn from reflecting on this experience?
IMPORTANT: Self-reflection is also the key to learning from success, so you can also complete the previous journaling activity while focusing on a past success. Taking the time to reflect on what contributed to your success might help you identify important strategies that will help you be successful on future tasks.
Need some inspiration?
Many of the world's most famous and successful people struggled at first. Read the biography of someone you admire. You will likely be surprised by what they had to overcome in order to be the success story they are today.
For more inspiration check out this video that features many famous people who struggled along the path to success. A quote from the Bible ends the video. If you are Christian, you may find it inspirational. If you would like to skip the religious quote, simply stop the video at 4:08.
For more inspiration check out this video that features many famous people who struggled along the path to success. A quote from the Bible ends the video. If you are Christian, you may find it inspirational. If you would like to skip the religious quote, simply stop the video at 4:08.