3052: Success Requires Failure So Just Start by Jay Harrington of Life and Whim on Resilience & Personal Growth

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com.

Episode 3052:

Jay Harrington of Life and Whim.com illuminates the essential role of failure in achieving success. Drawing parallels between the unattainable horizon and our evolving goals, he shares personal anecdotes of failure leading to unexpected success, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the continuous pursuit of a singular goal.

Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.lifeandwhim.com/first-moments-blog/success-requires-failure-just-start

Quotes to ponder:

"The good things didn’t happen despite the bad ones - they happened because of them."

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."

"Success is a byproduct of failure."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[00:00.000 --> 00:08.000] This is Optimal Living Daily, episode 3052. Success requires failure, so just start. [00:08.000 --> 00:11.000] By Jay Harrington of LifeAndWim.com [00:11.000 --> 00:16.000] And I'm your narrator Justin Malik, reading you blogs every single day of the year, including holidays. [00:16.000 --> 00:20.000] Now let's get right to it as we optimize your life. [00:24.000 --> 00:27.000] Success requires failure, so just start. [00:27.000 --> 00:31.000] By Jay Harrington of LifeAndWim.com [00:31.000 --> 00:38.000] Think about the last time you were at the beach and gazed out to the point where the lake or sea meets the sky. [00:38.000 --> 00:42.000] The horizon, off in the distance, seems reachable. [00:42.000 --> 00:48.000] But if you jump on a board and start paddling out, the horizon appears just as far off no matter how far you travel. [00:48.000 --> 00:51.000] The same is true of the progress we make in life. [00:52.000 --> 00:59.000] We move closer to our goals, but each new stage we reach becomes the new normal, and we expand our goals accordingly. [00:59.000 --> 01:07.000] Because we create a new mental construct about what success looks like, satisfaction and contentment still seem out of reach like the horizon. [01:07.000 --> 01:10.000] We're moving ahead, but it doesn't feel that way. [01:10.000 --> 01:15.000] In moments like this, be it on a board, on the lake, or in pursuit of personal goals, [01:15.000 --> 01:20.000] the only way to appreciate how far you've come is to look back, not forward. [01:20.000 --> 01:28.000] So while the new year is a time to look ahead, it's also important to look back to learn the lessons of the journey that led you to this point. [01:28.000 --> 01:33.000] Over the break, we spent some time evaluating the previous 12 months, and here's what we found. [01:33.000 --> 01:39.000] In 2017, Heather and I failed more than we ever have during a 12-month period. [01:39.000 --> 01:42.000] We made assumptions that were unfounded. [01:42.000 --> 01:44.000] We ran campaigns that didn't work. [01:44.000 --> 01:46.000] We chased leads that didn't pan out. [01:46.000 --> 01:49.000] We spent time that was not productive. [01:49.000 --> 01:52.000] We did all kinds of things that didn't work last year. [01:52.000 --> 01:57.000] At the same time, in 2017, we succeeded beyond our expectations. [01:57.000 --> 01:59.000] We got our new business off the ground. [01:59.000 --> 02:02.000] We created lots of products that we're proud of. [02:02.000 --> 02:08.000] We hosted events that gave people real joy and in the process developed many amazing relationships. [02:08.000 --> 02:11.000] We experienced lots of fun adventures as a family. [02:11.000 --> 02:15.000] We made progress personally and professionally. [02:15.000 --> 02:19.000] Here's the most important lesson we learned from all of these experiences. [02:19.000 --> 02:23.000] The good things didn't happen despite the bad ones. [02:23.000 --> 02:25.000] They happened because of them. [02:25.000 --> 02:32.000] Put another way, 2017 was a reminder that the only way to succeed is to fail. [02:32.000 --> 02:36.000] Quote, I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. [02:36.000 --> 02:38.000] I've lost almost 300 games. [02:38.000 --> 02:41.000] I've failed over and over again in my life. [02:41.000 --> 02:43.000] That is why I succeed. [02:44.000 --> 02:45.000] Michael Jordan. [02:45.000 --> 02:52.000] No matter what you're trying to achieve in life, developing a tolerance for failure is important for two principal reasons. [02:52.000 --> 02:55.000] First, if you fail, it means you tried. [02:55.000 --> 02:58.000] You can't win without trying. [02:58.000 --> 03:04.000] The only way Michael Jordan made lots of shots is because he took lots of shots and missed a significant percentage of them. [03:04.000 --> 03:10.000] Second, failing provides important feedback that can be applied when you try again and win. [03:10.000 --> 03:13.000] Success is a byproduct of failure. [03:13.000 --> 03:18.000] The key to failing is not to fail too big or too small. [03:18.000 --> 03:23.000] If you push all of your chips in and go big, you've got nothing to fall back on if you lose. [03:23.000 --> 03:28.000] For most of us, because of financial responsibilities and families, that's not an option. [03:28.000 --> 03:37.000] On the other hand, if you play a small ball, you'll never tap into the important lessons that can only be learned when you stretch beyond your comfort zone. [03:38.000 --> 03:43.000] Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. [03:43.000 --> 03:45.000] Robert F. Kennedy. [03:45.000 --> 03:50.000] In this sense, failing is a skill to be trained and refined. [03:50.000 --> 03:53.000] And as with any skill, practice makes perfect. [03:53.000 --> 03:56.000] As bestselling author Seth Godin has said, [03:56.000 --> 04:01.000] I think it's fair to say that I have failed more than most people, and I'm super proud of that. [04:01.000 --> 04:06.000] One of the rules of this game is the person who fails most wins. [04:07.000 --> 04:10.000] There's one additional thing to keep in mind about failure. [04:10.000 --> 04:13.000] Fail toward a single goal. [04:13.000 --> 04:20.000] The problem many of us run into when we're trying to achieve something is that when we fail, we stop and move on to the next thing. [04:20.000 --> 04:24.000] We think we've reached the end and are out of options, so we bounce. [04:24.000 --> 04:28.000] But if you bounce, then you don't get the benefit of the learning process. [04:28.000 --> 04:35.000] Instead, stay focused on a single goal and understand that the path to success is not linear. [04:35.000 --> 04:40.000] Treat each failure on the way to achieving the goal as a necessary stepping stone in the journey. [04:40.000 --> 04:43.000] Stay focused. Keep moving. [04:43.000 --> 04:50.000] Quote, failure is the opportunity to begin again only more intelligently. [04:50.000 --> 04:52.000] Henry Ford. [04:52.000 --> 04:54.000] So here's a simple suggestion. [04:54.000 --> 04:57.000] When it comes to pursuing what you want, just start. [04:57.000 --> 05:01.000] If failure is a prerequisite to success, what's stopping you? [05:01.000 --> 05:05.000] When it comes to making a decision or making progress on a new initiative, [05:05.000 --> 05:11.000] I've learned that I can ham and haw, research and read, ponder and probe all I want. [05:11.000 --> 05:15.000] It doesn't matter. It will just lead me back to the same point. [05:15.000 --> 05:21.000] Regardless of any other thing I decide to do, which is almost always a thinly disguised form of procrastination, [05:21.000 --> 05:23.000] I just need to start. [05:23.000 --> 05:26.000] Starting brings with it a risk of failure. [05:26.000 --> 05:29.000] But that's okay because failure or not, [05:29.000 --> 05:33.000] starting is the essential first step towards success. [05:37.000 --> 05:39.000] You just listened to the post titled, [05:39.000 --> 05:45.000] Success Requires Failure, So Just Start, by Jay Harrington of lifeandwim.com [05:45.000 --> 05:48.000] And I'll be right back with my commentary. [05:48.000 --> 05:50.000] Picture that thing you've always wanted to learn. [05:50.000 --> 05:54.000] Now picture learning it from the person who's literally the best at it in the world. [05:54.000 --> 05:57.000] That's what you get with MasterClass. [05:57.000 --> 06:04.000] MasterClass offers unlimited access to intimate, one-on-one classes with over 180 world-class instructors. [06:04.000 --> 06:09.000] Plus, every new membership comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there's no risk. [06:09.000 --> 06:16.000] There are over 200 classes to pick from, with new classes added every month, like Jon Kabat-Zinns. [06:16.000 --> 06:21.000] He's a mindfulness expert who teaches you how to incorporate meditation into your everyday life. [06:21.000 --> 06:24.000] I've loved his class, he's been mentioned on this podcast before, [06:24.000 --> 06:27.000] and it's really helped me to hone my meditation skills, [06:27.000 --> 06:30.000] especially when I'm out and experience stressful situations [06:30.000 --> 06:34.000] and don't have the time or space to have a proper meditation session. [06:34.000 --> 06:39.000] Thanks to his class, I've been able to stay more composed no matter what's happening. [06:39.000 --> 06:47.000] And right now our listeners will get an additional 15% off in annual membership at MasterClass.com slash old. [06:47.000 --> 06:52.000] Get 15% off right now at MasterClass.com slash old. [06:52.000 --> 06:56.000] They get a J for this article. There are some great quotes in this one. [06:56.000 --> 06:58.000] One that I particularly liked is, [06:58.000 --> 07:02.000] The good things didn't happen despite the bad ones. [07:02.000 --> 07:05.000] They happened because of them. [07:05.000 --> 07:09.000] This whole article really reminded me of how I got to where I am today, [07:09.000 --> 07:12.000] and maybe you can relate too with your own story. [07:12.000 --> 07:15.000] For me, it's always been about entrepreneurship. [07:15.000 --> 07:20.000] So the only way I was ever going to get anywhere was to find out where I was going to be. [07:20.000 --> 07:25.000] The only way I was ever going to get anywhere was to fail my way up to today [07:25.000 --> 07:28.000] with different ventures and experiments. [07:28.000 --> 07:33.000] About 15 years ago, that was my friend and I launching a website for musicians [07:33.000 --> 07:38.000] to sell their mp3s, CDs, shirts, stickers, anything they wanted to sell. [07:38.000 --> 07:44.000] And it worked well, but needed a lot more marketing and awareness to become sustainable. [07:44.000 --> 07:46.000] So you can put that into the failure category. [07:46.000 --> 07:48.000] Lots of lessons learned though. [07:48.000 --> 07:52.000] Eleven years ago, my current business partner and I started an app business, [07:52.000 --> 07:56.000] mainly with one app, but when we started getting low on money, [07:56.000 --> 07:58.000] which again was due to lots of lessons learned, [07:58.000 --> 08:02.000] I learned how to code myself, and that made us profitable. [08:02.000 --> 08:07.000] Near the end, we had over 100 apps, all monetizing in some fashion, [08:07.000 --> 08:09.000] but we learned it just wasn't fulfilling, [08:09.000 --> 08:11.000] especially the types of apps we were building. [08:11.000 --> 08:15.000] But in that process, my business partner was interviewed on a podcast, [08:15.000 --> 08:19.000] I discovered podcasting, and while we were somewhat successful financially, [08:19.000 --> 08:23.000] we weren't fulfilled and we talked a lot about things I read to you on this show, [08:23.000 --> 08:28.000] like personal development, minimalism, mindfulness, happiness, all of that stuff. [08:28.000 --> 08:32.000] And combining all of our years of failures and lessons learned, [08:32.000 --> 08:35.000] the idea of this podcast was born. [08:35.000 --> 08:38.000] Even this podcast has had its fair share of ups and downs, [08:38.000 --> 08:41.000] but I've been able to stick with it thanks to the emails I get from you, [08:41.000 --> 08:44.000] saying how it has changed your life and from all the support. [08:44.000 --> 08:49.000] It makes me want to keep going even when there are struggles and growing pains along the way. [08:49.000 --> 08:52.000] So thank you for the support and for those emails. [08:52.000 --> 08:55.000] If you haven't written in but want to say hi, it's always great hearing from you, [08:55.000 --> 08:58.000] you can get in touch at oldpodcast.com, [08:58.000 --> 09:01.000] or you can reply to my free weekly newsletter, I read every email. [09:01.000 --> 09:04.000] And thank you for listening every day, it means a lot. [09:04.000 --> 09:07.000] Have a great rest of your day and I'll be back tomorrow reading to you, [09:07.000 --> 09:09.000] where your optimal life awaits. Transcription results written to '/home/forge/transcribe3.sonicengage.com/releases/20240202210303' directory