It is that time of year again, when we reflect back, ‘What did I achieve this year?’ Did I achieve my goals? Did I do what I wanted? And what if I didn’t?

The other day, I had an intense conversation with someone from my network about his goals and achievements this year. He was disappointed in not having achieved as much as he wanted. He had been working on two big projects and it seemed that none of them really got to where he wanted them to. But after some reflection, he recognised that he also had quite a few successes along the way. He had only chosen to look back at the year through his ‘failure glasses’. 

This is understandable. As humans we like being celebrated for our successes. We measure our success with the outcome, the end result. We tend to see things either black or white and forget that there is an area in between. A between, which gives space for the success stories. A space, where we can gather our learnings, our experiences and our progress on the way. A between space, which by having a closer look, could be of so much value.

I love the way Thomas Edison defines that space: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Or the Wright Brothers, for whom giving up was not an option. But what made them achieve their success was their belief in their dreams. To fly. They went bravely through their failure journey and kept learning until they made flying possible for us all.

So if you think you have failed this year, take the courage to see it as a delay and as a temporary detour, as Denis Waitley, the American motivational speaker and writer says, not as a defeat or a dead end.  If you have failed, then take it courageously as a valuable experience, talk about it gratefully and make it proudly part of your journey.

Move forward by never giving up to believe in your goals and in the beauty of your dreams. Always keep an eye on the motivation behind your goals and understand your WHY. Make it your strategy to reflect and adjust continuously, learning from your experiences and failures.

Take the courage to fail and fall, but always get up and move forward. And keep in mind, if it’s too challenging, you are not alone. Get the help and support you need. Let’s talk (contact me)