Why failure is a catalyst for success

Actor-director Woody Allen once said, “If you're not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”

 

Essentially, Allen is saying that success rarely comes without failure, or at least without trying and never giving up. He is also suggesting that failure comes from taking risks and pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

 

So, with this in mind, it’s worth reflecting on how you perceive failure and how it affects your ability to innovate or grow. Perhaps, your next breakthrough might lie in answering these five questions and discovering hidden opportunities or pursuits.

 

— Are you afraid to fail? Or, to put it another way, are you afraid of failure?

 

— Are you willing to fail in order to succeed?

 

— Are you brave enough to step out of your comfort zone?

   

— When was the last time you took a risk?

   

— Is your fear of failure holding you back?

 

Clichéd as it might sound, life is too short to let fear keep you from trying something new or fulfilling your dreams. Sure, failure hurts, but isn’t it better to fail than to never try at all and be left with regrets later? You’ll never know what’s possible until you take that first step. Who knows? You might just surprise yourself. Isn’t that what makes life exciting?

 

Here are three ways of breaking down Woody Allen’s quote:

 

• To be creative or innovative is to venture into uncharted territory, take on risk and explore new ideas. If you fail, you can always give it another shot or try something else until you succeed. You will—we all do.

  
  

• To fail, occasionally, means you’re moving away from the usual way of doing things and striving to create something unique.

   

• Never failing can be a sign that you're avoiding challenges and only doing things that are predictable or within your comfort zone.

   

Psychologists say one of the main reasons people don’t reach their creative or innovative potential is the shame and embarrassment they might associate with failing—or even falling short—in a task or endeavour. The result of negative thoughts like ‘I can’t do it’ or ‘I will fail’ is often a negative outcome that persists until there is a shift in mindset from self-doubt to self-belief.

 

This mental bias keeps you stuck in your work and life. By holding onto these negative thought patterns, you prevent yourself from living to your full potential, whether in your career, a creative field, entrepreneurship or any other area where achievements usually stem from trial and error.

 

But remarkable things happen when you do unexpected things without fear.

To illustrate, here are two memorable scenes from two equally inspiring movies that showcase how failure, hard work and resilience can become stepping stones to success.

 

Rocky (1976)

 

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) portrays an underdog boxer who overcomes professional and personal obstacles before getting a shot at the heavyweight title—and ultimately winning it. The iconic scene near the end, where Rocky finishes his training and runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, symbolises his struggles, perseverance and eventual triumph.

 

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

 

Chris Gardner (Will Smith) goes through a lot of hardship, including raising a son on his own, homelessness and financial struggles that force him to sell medical equipment in hopes of making extra money. His setbacks, however, do not deter him from working tirelessly as an unpaid intern at a stockbroking firm before eventually getting a full-time job there in a poignant last scene.

 

Both Rocky and The Pursuit of Happyness, as well as scores of other movies and TV shows, depict failure not as the end but as the beginning of something meaningful and uplifting. The films, while illustrating the inevitability of setbacks, show how the relentless pursuit of a better life can lead to success. They beautifully encapsulate Albert Einstein’s famous saying, “Failure is success in progress”—inspiring you to break free from the dull and ordinary, and live your life with a real sense of freedom and adventure.

 

© Pocketful of Happiness