Embracing Failure: The Key to Innovation and Growth

Thomas Edison was mocked for trying unsuccessfully over 1,200 materials for the filament of his great dream, the incandescent light bulb. “You have failed over 1,200 times,” said a regimented thinker of that day. “I have not failed,” countered Edison. “I have discovered 1,200 materials that won’t work.”

This story highlights the importance of showing determination in the face of failure. Failure at work (and home) is inevitable. It is going to happen, and it is going to happen often! Fortunately, each of us can control how we respond to failure. The best way to deal with failure is to change your mindset.

When failure happens, do not dwell on it. Do not rehash. Do not play mental videos in your head of how awful things went. Instead, treat it as an opportunity to learn and grow. As noted in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, “the secret to life is to fall 7 times and to get up 8 times.”