“Would you like me to give you the formula for success?  It’s quite simple, really.  Double your rate of failure…You’re thinking of failure as the enemy of success.  But it isn’t at all…You can be discouraged by failure–or you can learn from it.  So go ahead and make mistakes.  Make all you can.  Because, remember that’s where you’ll find success.  On the other side of failure.”  Thomas J. Watson, Sr.

What does the word “fail” do to your spirit?

Good advice and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine.  (Prov. 8:14; NLT)

I’ve just spent the major part of the weekend studying a new system that embodies several “revolutionary” (to me) concepts.  One of those concepts promotes the idea espoused by Watson in his quote.  Basically, it is to define a couple of action steps that will move you from where you are now to your desired result, and then just do them.  Don’t worry about whether they are the right steps or not.  Don’t worry about succeeding or failing.  Just do the steps and then stop and evaluate the result.

In other words, success or failure is not the issue–learning is what you are after.  Take action, evaluate, learn, and then adjust when necessary, and then start over again by taking action.  You could say that you learn your way to the desired end result.  This is akin to the course correction procedure that we all use when driving a car.  You don’t just aim the car and hold the steering wheel steady till you get there.  You are constantly (and subconsciously) evaluating, leaning, and adjusting accordingly.  This is no less true of a pilot who is flying from point A to point B or of an astronaut who is piloting a spacecraft from earth to the moon.  That’s even how the most sophisticated auto pilot systems work.  Continuous course correction is the key!

When you really stop and think about it, this gives a whole new connotation to the word “fail.”  All of a sudden, failing is a good thing…something to be pursued.  Isn’t it sad how our culture has taken a powerful and positive word like that and given it such a negative stigma so that many of us have been paralyzed by our fear of failure?  We plan, plan, plan, and do some more planning.  When everything looks right, we take a few tentative, faltering steps.  And if it doesn’t go according to plan, we tend to give up and conclude that we just are not smart enough, or good enough, or lucky enough.  What balderdash!!!

Jeff Olson, in his book, The Slight Edge, tells us that the Japanese have a business management philosophy called kaizen, sometimes translated as “continuous improvement.”  Some of you may be old enough to remember what a joke the label “Made in Japan” used to be.  Well it’s no longer a joke, but a mark of superior quality.

So, may I challenge you to change your mindset from “ready, aim, fire” to “ready, fire, aim?”  Plan, do, and review.  Take action, evaluate, learn, and then adjust when necessary and then start over again by taking action.  Follow Thomas Watson’s advice and “double your rate of failure,” or John Maxwell’s similar advice, “fail forward.”

Prayer Power
Lord, forgive us for throwing in the towel too quickly.  Forgive us for the times You have given us a desire, causing us to start down the road to fulfillment, and then given up prematurely because we thought we didn’t have the capability.  Lord, give us the grace to see that our only limitations are self-imposed.  We are designed and destined for success…not mediocrity.  Hallelujah!!!

Link of the Day
Overcoming Failure

Blessings on you as you step out and “fail” several times this week.