by Marcus Bentley Wise

Created on: April 02, 2010   Last Updated: April 06, 2010

The old adage that you win some and you lose some is very true. What you want is to win more than you lose and every thing should be aright in the end.

But to lose is to fail and to fail is not the end of the world. What it should be is a way to learn from what you have done and get better. A golfer might have a great game, can hit the ball down the fairway and on to the green in the right amount of shots. But on the green he finds that he can not putt to save his life. So what does that golfer do? He could keep playing the same game and getting to the green and losing. Or he could go and practice his putting. And that is what failure can do for us.

Yes, it is uncomfortable, and not at all pleasant to find that what you have worked for has not come together in the way that you would like. But it is something that you could learn from. Like the golfer, you could have found that you put together a great package, presented well, and the cost was right; everything was in place. You do your presentation and then find that you do not have all the detail that you need to answer the questions. You are like the golfer on the green, and at the last part you fall down.

So like the golfer, or any professional sports person, you go and you practice what you are doing. You get better and next time you are in the board room you can answer the questions.

Failure is only a bad thing if you do not learn from it. You must get something out of it to make you better next time. If you do not know why you failed, then be cheeky. Ask the reason why. For if you are going to ever try again, it is good to know that you going to be better. Also it shows whoever you are dealing with that you are willing to try again.

Remember that no now does not mean no in the future. It may take several visits before you get past the reception desk. And more hard work as you are tried and tested by being asked to do things you did not even consider before. But if you try and get it right, all that rejection in the past will have been worth while.

Failure to succeed is only failure if you allow it to be. The only failure is not learning from it.

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