How To Make The Most Out of Failure
The Tower of Pisa is renown all around the world because of its distinct architectural feature – its tilt. But did you know that this tilt was the result of a mistake? Contrary to what people believe, this tilt isn’t a sort of architectural marvel. In fact, it is more of a structural fault. This sinking started during the construction of the tower. It was due to a weak foundation which was set in unstable i.e. soft subsoil. As the levels were added to the tower, it started to sink. Construction was put to a stop for almost a hundred years. This allowed the soil to eventually settle and form a solid base. Engineers who continued the tower’s construction decided to remedy the tilt by building floors with one side taller than the other, giving the tower a curved shape. Now, Italian’s have turned this failure to success. The tower is a world heritage site, and is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
Turning Mistakes Into Opportunities
Everybody makes mistakes. But this doesn’t mean we should waste our time dwelling on what should have, would have, or could have. Rather, we should think about how we can turn these mistakes into opportunities instead. Just like the Italians, we should focus on making the most out of failure. In order to do this, here are three things you could consider:
First, think about what you are focusing on!
Instead of focusing too much on why some thing or some things happen, shift your focus. Think about how you can make these things better. Remember, it is better to focus on the positive rather than the negative.
Next, think about the meaning you are giving to the things you are focusing on.
Are you someone who looks at a negative circumstance as a punishment? Or are you someone who looks at an unfortunate circumstance as a challenge, instead? Changing the way you view a situation can have a drastic effect on how you treat it. Taking a more positive stance will help you handle a situation better. It would allow you to turn something you initially perceived as a failure, into an opportunity for success.
Lastly, think about what you are going to do next.
Now that you’ve shifted your focus and changed how you see things, it’s time to plan your actions. Since all of our actions are determined by our thoughts and personal beliefs, having a positive mindset will lead us to positive actions, which will in turn, lead to other positive things. Because, like they said—that is just what it is.
So, what about you? Have you encountered a situation wherein you were set up for failure, but decided to turn it into an opportunity for success, instead?
This video is part of a YouTube series called Mighty Mindset. Here, Muneer covers strategies of personal persuasion—tactics that can help you operate at your peak performance. Click here to see more videos like this.
