Here’s Why It’s OK to Fail

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a successful entrepreneur. Do a Google search for that topic, and you’ll see a list of articles talking about how things like “grit,” “determination,” and “innovation” are the markers of a successful business owner.

And, sure, all those things are important to some extent if you want to succeed at anything, business ownership or otherwise. But something I think is even more valuable is being OK with failure.

In This Article:

5 Reasons Why “Failing” is OK

Here come the air quotes, seeing as I don’t like the word failure but have yet to come up with a suitable replacement. In any case, here are some of the reasons why I believe it’s essential for everyone to embrace “failure” as a normal part of life. 

1. It’s how you learn

I sound like a walking cliche when I say it, but you really do learn better when you fail. It’s why I always let students revise their papers in my Composition classes. What’s the point of finding out what you did wrong if you can’t fix it?

I’m trying to instill this idea in my kids, too, without using the dreaded F word. The easiest way to do this is through sports. After every game, match, or meet, I’ll ask my kids what they did well and what they want to improve. It’s a healthy outlook that lets them celebrate their wins and identify where they want to spend their practice time to get better.

2. It can lead you to a happier place

In 2004, I decided I wanted to pursue my Ph.D. in English with the goal of becoming a tenured professor at a research university. Fast forward through three degree programs in two states, and I finally graduated as Dr. Williams in 2015.

But, by that point, so much in my life had changed that the end goal I started with was no longer what I wanted. I’d gotten married, had two kids, moved across the country, and discovered my passion for writing online content as I freelanced my way through grad school. 

So, after graduating, I didn’t follow through with my original plan. Some people saw this as a failure. I’ve had more than one person ask how I felt about failing to get an academic job. 

That type of talk is nonsense. OK, so theoretically, I failed to become an academic. But that doesn’t mean I failed to find happiness and fulfillment elsewhere. Had I let those voices push me, I wouldn’t be here today, doing exactly what I love. 

3. It’s easier to take risks when you recognize that failure isn’t the end

Before taking any kind of risk, I ask myself, “what’s the worst that can happen?” Then, I go through all the possible scenarios.

Sometimes, the worst outcomes for things I find risky are pretty dire (on a related note, you’ll never talk me into bungee jumping). 

Most of the time, though, the worse outcome isn’t all that terrible compared to the best possible outcome. Take starting a business. Worst case scenario – it goes horribly wrong, and I have to close up shop and get a corporate job. But, honestly, that’s what I was doing anyway before I started this business, so the risk seemed pretty minimal to me when I finally decided to take the leap.

4. You stop caring about what people think

It shocks me how many people won’t try something new because they’re worried about what other people will think. 

I know I felt this way, too, growing up. I can’t pinpoint exactly when my outlook changed, but I do know that at some point, I realized nobody was paying attention to me. And that was an empowering thought. 

A few years ago, I joined a gym to train specifically for obstacle course races (OCRs). I was inspired by watching American Ninja Warrior and thought, “that looks fun!”

And it was! I spent my lunch hour scaling walls, tossing tires, and climbing ropes, which was way better than slogging it out on the treadmill. 

The thing is, I wasn’t very good at it. It took me an entire year to work up the courage (and grip strength) to cross the monkey bars. And I made it look extraordinarily difficult.

What was weird to me was how many people congratulated me on my “bravery” for continuing to show up. That could have wrecked my self-esteem (since the underlying message I heard was, “Wow, you really suck at this, and yet you keep paying to be here. So brave.”) Instead, I just said “thanks” and moved on. I loved how I felt after a workout, and that mattered way more than a random gym-goer’s opinion of me.

5. You’ll figure out what you’re good at

When I first started this business, I experimented. A lot. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out my strengths and weaknesses as a business owner. 

Then, I took lessons from those experiences to make hires to supplement my weaknesses. I also cut out services that didn’t align with my overarching goals and formed partnerships with companies that could fill those needs for our clients. I also outsourced tasks that I knew I’d mess up (like accounting).

Go Out and Fail

Let me rephrase that. Go out and do what you want to do without being afraid of what happens if or when you fail. Take calculated risks that bring you closer to your goals, but don’t be scared to make changes once those goals stop serving you. 

Sometimes, you don’t need to fail at something to recognize you need help. Taking calculated risks includes knowing when it’s time to bring someone else on board. 

If you need help with content writing and strategy, get in touch. We can focus on that aspect so you can keep working on everything else in your business.

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