Nobody LIKES to fail. Failure can be a heavy burden, and it can be intimidating to take on something when you’re not sure about the outcome. More often than not, I see a lot of people hold back from chasing their goals, whether it’s fitness, competing in a sport, business, or life, just because they’re afraid to fail.
I’ve watched people go into competitions, finish in the middle of the pack, and boast about “Not really trying/or training” as if their lack of commitment is a badge of honor. Now to me, what I hear is: “Can you imagine if I had actually tried? Maybe I would have won!” You know what I say to that?
Fuck that.
Fuck going half-assed on something and boasting about it. When people do this, all they’re doing is creating the narrative that their potential success is simply a mythical place of “what if’s” and “maybe’s,” as if underachieving on the things they care about is a victory.
The reality is, all of the people that you admire, no matter what area of their life it is, approach life the same way. They’re all willing to put in the work, listen to constructive criticism, and they’re not afraid to fail. Because failure is just a part of life.
In fact, I’ve failed countless times at many things:
I failed at getting a D1 football scholarship
I failed at going to Nationals in college Track & Field
I failed at first attempt as an Entrepreneur
I failed at becoming a Pro Strongman
I failed to break a world record in any Highland Games event
I failed at real estate investments
I was fired from my outside sales career
I’ve been divorced
I’ve had 8 unsuccessful knee surgeries
And I’ve designed countless items from HVIII that have completely flopped...
My point is, failure is a part of becoming successful, and the way to move past your failures is to take accountability for them.
You have the power to be your biggest asset, or your greatest nemesis. When you fail, shake off the self doubt and bullshit, and recalibrate. Learn from your mistakes and figure out the next step.
If you’re unwilling to fail and weather the setbacks that may come your way, then you’ll never reach your end goal. Instead of fearing it, accept that FAILURE is just a part of the journey.
The road to success is paved with failure, so start laying bricks my friends.
