3 Ways to Get Comfortable with Failure

Let’s face it, no one wants to fail, let alone see themselves as a failure! Yet if you’re really living life to the fullest, failure is inevitable.

We recently learned how two successful women of color deal with failure on the Color Forward podcast. Energy Strategist Alma del Toro, Tech Advocate and Shonna Dorsey (read more about them) had similar approaches on how they tackle failure.

We picked up some great tips for you to apply in your own life:

1. Acknowledge the fear.

Think about why failing is such a scary concept to you. Does it go back to a specific time you failed and it was embarrassing? Or does it have to do with the lack of support you’ve had from friends and family towards your dreams? Whatever it may be, realizing that you’re scared of failing and finding the root of it can liberate you to move forward. 

The key to moving forward isn’t about eliminating your fear. It almost never completely goes away, even for the most successful of people. It’s about getting comfortable with failing. Recognize that it’s present and forge ahead anyway.

2. Embrace your inner child.

It’s time for you to think like a child again and dream so big that you’re not even caught up on failure. If you’re busy dreaming, you don’t have much time to think of what can go wrong. Your main thought should be the outcome you want to see. No one goes into business to fail, but to build something worth being proud of. The same idea should go for any goal, no matter how small. Consistently move towards your dreams to the point that failure only feels like small bumps on the road. 

3. Remember your purpose.

This also requires consistency because you have to constantly remind yourself why you’re pursuing your goals. There’s always a reason behind an action. But as goals move forward, backward, and upside down, you may start focusing on daily tasks/issues instead of the why behind said tasks. If you fail (privately or publicly) while following your purpose, at least you know you went with your heart.  

Failing is part of dreaming. The bigger you dream, the bigger you can fail. But the difference between achieving your goals and not, is whether you accept and get comfortable with failing. The more you fail, the more comfortable it becomes. Let’s not fail less, let’s fail better. 

Listen to the Color Forward podcast now to learn more tips from successful women of color.