Overcoming Failure with the Triple-A Approach

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Failure is the social concept of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and is usually viewed as the opposite of success. 

In many instances, failure is based on one or more underlying fears.

Failure is an inevitable part of life, but it doesn’t have to define you.

Instead, failure can serve as a powerful catalyst for growth, innovation, and success.

The concept of failure can be dissected into several key components that contribute to its occurrence and impact:

1. Expectations vs. Reality: A primary component of failure involves a gap between expectations and reality. When outcomes do not align with pre-set goals or expectations, the perception of failure emerges.
2. Lack of Preparation: Insufficient preparation or planning often leads to failure. This could be due to inadequate resources, time, or understanding of the task at hand.
3. Execution Errors: Even with proper planning, errors in execution, such as poor decision-making, poor risk management or procedural mistakes, can lead to failure.
4. External Factors: These are influences beyond one’s control, such as market conditions, environmental changes, or actions taken by others, that can impact outcomes negatively.
5. Feedback and Correction Loops: The absence of effective feedback and correction mechanisms can allow errors to go unchecked and compound, leading to failure.
6. Psychological Factors: Fear of failure, stress, or lack of motivation and your attitude are crucial components. These factors might affect performance and decision-making processes.
7. Learning and Adaptation: Failure often involves a lack of adaptation or learning from past mistakes. Inability to evolve or adjust strategies based on previous outcomes can perpetuate cycles of failure.

Understanding the elements of failure can help you analyze the failures that occur in your own life effectively and create strategies to prevent future failures.

How do you overcome failures in your own life?

Use the Triple-A Approach: Acknowledge, Analyze and Adopt.

1. Acknowledge and Accept Your Emotions

The first step in overcoming failure is to acknowledge and accept your feelings. Disappointment, frustration, and even grief are common reactions. Recognizing these emotions as natural responses allows you to process them constructively. It’s important to give yourself permission to feel these emotions with discernment instead of judgment.

2. Analyze What Went Wrong

Once you’ve allowed yourself to experience your initial emotions, it’s crucial to objectively analyze what went wrong. Ask yourself these questions.

• What factors and decisions contributed to the failure?
• What do I need to take responsibility for?
• What can be learned from this experience as you contrast it with other successful life experiences?

These questions will help you to understand the failure and prevent similar issues that caused these failures in the future.

3. Adopt a New Mindset

Adopting a new mindset including a growth mindset, a concept popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck, is key in overcoming failure. A growth mindset encourages you to see failure as a learning opportunity rather than a defining event. Embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and understand that effort can lead to mastery and improvement.

Use the Triple-A Approach, Acknowledge, Analyze and Adapt, helps you overcome failures and create a positive impact in your own life.

Out There on the Edge of Everything®…

Stephen Lesavich, PhD

Copyright © 2024 by Stephen Lesavich, PhD.  All rights reserved.

Certified solution-focused life coach and experienced business coach.

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