Failure- only a stepping stone to success

24 June 2016

"I have not failed; I have just found ten thousand ways that don't work" Thomas Edison. So, the cycle of success begins…

Derek and Thomas are both in the sales industry. Derek shoots the lights out month after month- reeling in the commission, but Thomas just gets by, some months making targets, other times not. Who's the winner in this story? They both are! They both try, they both never give up because as Winston Churchill once said "success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts."


Most of the geniuses in the world failed in their first attempt to achieve a goal. In fact, history most fondly remembers those who had to overcome challenges and obstacles before achieving their successes. Henry Ford's first 5 businesses failed before he opened the popular Ford motors, Walt Disney was fired and the editor said he lacked imagination just before he found his recipe for success, Einstein could not speak until he was four and could not read until he was seven but he went on to win the Nobel prize.


Don't let failure get you down, use it as a stepping stone to success, here's how:-

  • Investigate why you did not succeed
    Check thoroughly every step/process you went through in your journey and establish what went wrong and do not be quick to blame. Reflect, relax and start the process again.
  • Take accountability of your failure
    Once you are accountable, you will realise that mistakes are done and you have to move forward with the process- move one, don't stay where you are!
  • Be willing to learn from your mistakes
    Allow yourself to be wrong and go through the process over and over again until you meet the desired objective.
  • Overcome your fears


Fear prevents us from achieving the desired objective because we do not want to take risks. We allow our minds to be filled with a lot of 'what ifs'.

Always remember that "failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success." - C. S. Lewis. Don't allow one fail to keep you from succeeding, press on and use it as a stepping stone to your greatest achievement. Push those boundaries until you exceed your targets.

The Working Earth offers consulting services which include testing and training programs to help you overcome your failures and assist you with achieving your goals in your business.

By Evelyn Motswiri, Helpdesk Supervisor – The Working Earth.​


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