Tag Archives: Learning from mistakes

“Don’t think of it as failure. Think of it…”

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“Don’t think of it as failure. Think of it as time-released success.”

-Robert Orben, speechwriter for President Gerald R. Ford

Photo from Flickr by lu-lu

Photo from Flickr by lu-lu

Before I became a coach 22 years ago, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, where I had the good fortune to learn a great deal about business through jobs in sales, marketing, and advertising.

One of the industry developments during the 80s and 90s was that of time-released formulations that allowed patients to go longer periods between doses. This improved compliance and, presumably, clinical outcomes.

We have all heard the phrase “take your medicine,” which often means acknowledge, accept, and learn from our experiences—particularly mistakes and failures. Perhaps in this way failures and the lessons they provide are actually time-released sources of success.

EXERCISE:

How have your professional or personal setbacks or failures contributed to your developmental journey and the level of success you currently experience? Where are some of the challenges and obstacles facing you today releasing the knowledge and capacities of your future successes?

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

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“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

-James Joyce, Irish Novelist and Poet

Photo from Flickr by Don McCullough

Photo from Flickr by Don McCullough

Many years ago I attended a presentation by Benjamin Zander, who, along with his wife, authored “The Art of Possibility”.

At the time, he was also the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, where he worked with and literally orchestrated the talents of some of the finest young musicians in the world.

His presentation was light, joyful, and even a bit zany. Of particular note was his suggestion that instead of trying to always do things perfectly, we allow and delight in the learning that can occur from making occasional mistakes.

He coaches his proteges and helps them joyfully discover and learn from the mistakes along their artful journey toward musical mastery.

EXERCISE:

How can you bring your own lighthearted and even playful fascination to the efforts and mistakes you make on a daily basis to expand your own portals of personal and professional discovery?