Forget About It: Letting Go of Failure

I am blessed with a stellar memory.

It has served me well.

Mostly.

I say mostly because over the years I struggled with holding on to failure too long.

I’m a perfectionist.

I expect a lot from myself.

Striving to achieve the unattainable goal of perfection is delusional at best.

And yet so many do it. 

There’s no doubt that greatness requires a high bar to strive toward.

High achievers are notoriously focused on excellence.

But if you’ve ever studied the really great performers in any endeavor, there is this hidden ability that so many miss.

They have a short memory.

They have the uncanny ability to forget about the missed shots and missteps.

They are focused on the next play.

This is the difference between amateur and pro.

Oh, the sting of failure hurts.

A lot.

It sucks.

But they don’t dwell on it.

They can’t.

It will seep into their mindset and ruin the next performance.

Instead, they learn from it.

And let it go.

It’s gone. 

It cannot be changed.

But another chance is coming.

A do-over

An opportunity to be better.

You see, greatness learns from mistakes instead of living with them.

If it’s true that we attract what we think about, shouldn’t we focus on our wins and executing the next play versus the failures for which we can do nothing to change?

The truth is I cannot change what has already happened. 

But here’s what I can do.

Understand that success is impossible without failure. They need each other.

Be kind to yourself. Cut yourself some slack. There are enough critics trying to bring you down.

Learn something. There is always a lesson hidden in our mistakes.

Find the positive. What can I take away from this that will help me do better next time?

Focus on the next performance. 

Let it go. Holding onto failure is a surefire way to produce more of the same. Move on and keep playing to win.

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Kevin D. Brown is a branding and culture expert. He’s an award-winning motivational speaker, bestselling author, and the creator of The Hero Effect®. Follow him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.