THE IMPORTANCE OF FAILURE – Part I

When we change how we think, we change who we are and how we behave. It’s fundamental. 

The whole concept of learning how to change how you think and how you view things really isn’t that hard. The hard part is learning how to apply what you learn.

The formula is pretty simple, too. When we encourage or harbor negative thoughts about ourselves and our experiences, it leads to negative emotions, and negative emotions lead to negative behaviors – one of which can be poor eating habits.

And the opposite is true, as well. If we encourage good thoughts about ourselves and our experiences, it leads to positive emotions, and positive emotions lead to positive behaviors – one of which can be better eating habits. And this dynamic certainly is true in relation to learning how to deal with failure – whether it is real or perceived.

The problem most of us have with failure is that we only look at it from a negative perspective. I mean, just think of the word itself… FAILURE. It sounds heavy, negative and defeatist.

You know, the longer you live, the more you are going to have to deal with failure. It’s inevitable. But how we fair when it comes to times when we fail at something depends on how we choose to view it. Do we see it as a life-stopping, dream-ending catastrophe; or do we see it as a valuable experience that moves us one step closer to reaching our goals?

The biggest key to overcoming failure is recognizing that it can be beneficial. We can learn immensely from our failures – especially if we learn not to make the same mistake again.

And while it is important to face our weaknesses and accept personal responsibility for our actions, we can’t really correct our problems if we aren’t willing to face them.

Let’s apply some principles to help us redefine our failures with regard to weight loss. The first thing you need to realize is that Failure Makes You a Stronger Person. You actually need failure in your life. When you encounter failure and continue to press forward, you strengthen your ability to persevere.

If you never experience any setbacks in your life, it can mean one of two things – either you’re living life totally in your comfort zone and not achieving much… not putting yourself out there at all; or you’re setting your sights so low that succeeding is easy. Neither of those scenarios are beneficial in helping you to achieve your goals and dreams.

There’s another way to look at this, too, which most people never consider while trying to lose weight. There are those who set out to lose 20 pounds and yet achieve a 10 or 15-pound weight loss while working hard. It’s very important for that person not to frame themselves as a failure and become frustrated.

Rather, they need to look at it as moving forward and being one step closer to their goal, while realizing that for some of us, weight loss resistance, insulin resistance, hormones, medications, illnesses or sometimes just life happening, is real.

It’s not failure if you didn’t lose the same weight as someone else on the plan or reach a particular number by a certain date. Your success isn’t finished because your body is taking care of some very important health factors before tackling your weight. The number doesn’t always tell the story. Give yourself permission to be an individual, and not having to measure up to a standard that may be unrealistic for you for multiple reasons.

It’s still okay to set a bigger goal, while knowing that even if you do not reach that goal, you will be a better person because of it. 

 There are a couple more principles we will look at next week that will help us redefine failures.