The F word... FAIL, it has such a negative tone. But is failure really that bad? Isn't that when we learn and grow the most. I have failed in relationships, in jobs, in working out, in dieting, well... in just about ever aspect of my life at one time or another. Those failures helped shape the person I have become, they have taught me valuable lessons about life.

Throughout history many famous people have failed—people like Oprah and Bill Gates. But probably the most famous "failure" is Steve Jobs. The Apple Lisa. Macintosh TV. The Apple III. The Powermac g4 cube. Steve Jobs had a brilliant mentality to fail fast and challenge the status quo, "Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations" — Steve Jobs. In the end, Steve overcame and learned from his mistakes to become one of the most recognizable names in technology.

Sometimes we forget that the real secret to success is learning how to fail. Here are some insights into how you can set yourself up for success by overcoming failures:

Step outside of your comfort zone. Successes usually involve some sort of risk but if you get too comfortable and are afraid to take a chance on something then you are becoming your own blocker to success. It's time to overcome your fear of failure!
Stop being so hard on yourself. Do you ever have an awkward moment that you keep replaying in your mind, like "why did I say that during the meeting today" or "did I really just call Becky the wrong name." Let's be realistic a failure is not the end of the world. It is easy to get stuck in your head, feeling like you have made the biggest mistake but you are probably the only one thinking about it (8 Ways to Return to the Present Moment).
Forget what you think success looks like. Success and failure look different to everyone and the majority of the time our idea of great success is just flat out unrealistic. It is time to put perfection our of your mind. Success can be overcoming odds, facing your fears and winning small battles every day — it doesn’t have to be something grand and unattainable.
Get in touch with the 5-year-old you. Do you remember your childhood? Playing outside, exploring your imagination, building new things... No one's childhood is the same but one thing is for sure, children are fearless. There have been many times when I have been stuck in a creative rut and if I take some time to look through an old photo album or play with a childhood toy I am able to refocus and get inspired (How to Find Your Inner Child as an Adult).

Failure can shake our confidence but if we look at my second rule of life that says with failure comes growth and with growth comes confidence. While you might feel like you have hit the bottom you should know that you are on the way back up!

Thank you for taking the time to read some of my thoughts. This blog is a glimpse into the guidelines I live my life by. My Life Rules (pun intended)!