Did your parents say this phrase, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again"? Are you in the same club as I am, where we heard it so often it keeps ringing in our ears whenever we have a bad day? Or let's take, "not the year you thought it would be".
It still makes sense. I'm basically an optimistic person, but I'm also realistic and pragmatic...... so if something is just plain not working...yes I do take a look and check it out. Is the error in my assumptions, or my execution, or the timing, or....is it still is a good idea? Then think it through.
This whole process of frustration-doubt-self review-frustration-doubt-self review all came together when I happened on a book by James Dale, entitled The Obvious: All You Need To Know In Business. Period.
Well, anything with that bodacious a title is worth more than a second glance to see if the content lives up to the title. It did.
Here's what worked best for me...the simple reminder that failure can lead to success. We all know about the endless times Thomas Edison worked on versions of the incandescent light bulb before success, but here are examples of "some of the world's greatest failures":
- Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear on his first car.
- Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
- Elvis Presley didn't make the Glee Club.
- Napoleon finished near the bottom of his military school class.
- Abe Lincoln failed at so many things - jobs, runs for office, businesses, love - before he found his niche as president.
- Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school.
- Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, a league record at the time.
- Many companies went bankrupt (some multiple times) before becoming giants in their industries - even big ones like Pepsi, Quaker Oats, Bird's Eye and Wrigleys.
So "let's keep on truckin" and welcome the New Year with a "Whoopee"!
Marge Coffing - Florida Fractional Lady
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What are you tring to say we all make mistakes. Great post. I will keep on truckin away this year.
Thanks