Fail More

A key component to living an Awesome life is trying new things. Change is inevitable. In order to participate in change for the better, we must try new things. And, when we try new things, we will fail. Consider this your permission to Fail.

So go ahead, fail! It means you’re trying something new. In fact, Fail often! It’s a prerequisite to success. We know this. We just need to be reminded from time to time.

When did we become so afraid to fail?
We know failure is a natural part of growth. Think about the child learning to walk: Stand. Fall. Stand. Fall. One step. Fall. 2 steps. Crash. If you learned to walk, you failed hundreds of times first. Your toddling self wanted change and was willing to fail in hopes of eventual success. All those failures were worth it, huh?

So, listen here... 
Knock it off with the fear of failure. It’s holding you back. Try something new. A new workout, new recipe, a meet-up with a new friend, different morning ritual, better evening self-care routine... When you fail, laugh it off. Don’t take yourself and the hundreds of decisions you make every day so seriously.

Try, Fail, Learn, Repeat.

For some reason this is much harder for us as adults than it is for children. Our 8-year-old is amazingly good at laughing it off when he fails. He’ll try something new, fail, and laugh as he declares, “Oh man! Epic Fail!” I love that. Give it a try. Be light. Laugh it off when things don’t go perfectly on the first try... or the hundredth.

Here are a few mantras that we use that might be helpful for you as you journey:
“Done is better than perfect.” Often times we don’t start because we’re waiting for all of the ideal conditions to align. Might never happen. So…
“Just Start.” You’ll figure it out as you go.  You’ll learn from your failures. If you’re afraid, ask yourself…
“What’s the BEST that could happen?” Often times we’re paralyzed by fear of the opposite question (What’s the worst that could happen?). Typically the answer to the “worst” question isn’t so bad, and the answer to the “BEST” question is worth giving it a shot. This applies to big decision and little decisions. Afraid to try a new recipe because it might not turn out perfect and your family might hate it?  What if they LOVE it? Give it a try, and if it doesn’t go well laugh it off together as an “Epic Fail!”
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.”  If the “worst that could happen” doesn’t include death, give it a shot!  The more willing you are to try and fail, the easier it becomes and the more you’ll succeed.  But you HAVE to fail first, so go ahead and get started.

Is Fear holding you back?  Click here for more mantras  and inspiration we've pinned for you.  

On an anecdotal note, 30 Days Of Awesome itself is an experiment. We had an idea and decided to give it a shot. It’s scary. What if nobody signs up? You signed up. We could really use a few more months to write all the emails and pre-record all of the videos. Just start. You’ll figure it out as you go.  We don’t have a professional camera or tripod. I guess a ladder, cutting board and iPhone will do. Done is better than perfect. What’s the worst that could happen? Nobody signs up and we learn a ton about ourselves and develop some new skills. What’s the BEST that could happen? These ideas could change someone’s life for the better. They could change OUR lives for the better.

Keep failing, friends.  It’s the only way to succeed :-) 

Cheering for you!
Necia and Jon Ornée
Team Awesome