How to stop failing

This week I have been having some BIG breakthroughs.

To be honest, I have big breakthroughs quite regularly, but as with anything, I go through periods where the lessons are coming thick and fast and then periods where I settle into things a bit more.

My mindful practice is ALWAYS evolving and something I've noticed, is often when I learn something new, it's actually something I've heard before. I've just not understood it on a deep level. The same was true this week.

Last year, I even discussed "what is failure?" with my own coach MULTIPLE TIMES, but something didn't stick. Then I read this book.

This book isn't even about "how to stop failing", it's about mindset

But SO MANY THINGS SUDDENLY MAKES SENSE

If you're like me and most of my clients, you like knowing the science behind things - when I learn how something works, for example how meditation literally changes the size of parts of your brain, it makes it so much easier for me to get on board with a concept

And this book is all about the science behind fixed vs growth mindset

If you're not familiar with those terms, in a nutshell fixed mindset is about thinking we all have a set amount of intelligence and thinking there's not much we can do about it

Growth mindset is the opposite - it says we CAN increase our intelligence, and our skills in pretty much anything - it just takes effort and a belief that you can

Here's where one of my many breakthroughs comes in

The way to not fail, is to redefine failure

See if I didn't pass an exam, that was a fail (I mean, duh, clues in the word "fail" on the marksheet)

But not according to those with a growth mindset - it's only a fail if you haven't done your best

Now if you're like me prior to reading this book, you're thinking "think that if you want, but it is still a fail"

But here's where it all ties in together

The science shows that people who believe that failure is "not doing your best" achieve SO MUCH MORE

(can you tell I'm excited by the number of cap locks in this 😅)

And now I've read all the science about the benefits of the growth mindset I am totally sold on re-defining failure

Luckily, re-writing beliefs is one of the massive things I do with my clients

So while this is a belief I've not been able to change in myself for a while, now I've redefined failure in my mind and MAN IT FEELS GOOD

So that's my lesson this week. Don't fail, by changing your definition of failure 💪

I have loved diving into this and I'd really love to hear your thoughts - what does failure mean to you?