Failure - the Important Secret to Succeeding in Business

“Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.” Benjamin Franklin

One of the most important secrets of business success is to fail early and often! If you aren’t failing you aren’t taking enough risks. Is fear of failure holding you back? Well, stop fearing it because you will fail. The sooner you get use to the idea that you will fail the sooner you will be able to succeed.

Failing and succeed is not unlike making sales calls. Sales calls are generally a numbers game. The more calls you make, the more rejections you receive, and the more success you experience. Some sales trainers teach you to determine your average number of rejections for every successful sales call. If it takes 10 people saying “no” before someone says “yes” Then you know when you make 2 calls you only have 8 more calls to make before someone says “yes”. Failing works much the same way so get busy and start failing.

When you fail, analyze what happened, and make adjustments you are one step closer to succeeding. Failure puts you on the track to winning and succeeding. You learn valuable lessons when you fail and analyze the situation. There are no failures only lessons. The only failures are when you quit trying.

It has been reported that when Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who asked if he felt like a failure after so many attempts to invent the light bulb, Mr. Edison replied, “young man, why would I feel like a failure? I now know over 900 elements that will not work to create a practical light bulb. Success is almost in my grasp.” Soon after this, Mr. Edison invented the light bulb.

Mr. Edison tried over 1000 substances in his experiments to create the filament for an incandescent light bulb. He evaluated his substances based on how long they lasted, if they would be too expensive to be practical to be sold, and whether they could be produced and yet still be able to make a profit. These are similar to the types of questions you will need to consider when you are not successful.

Another example of someone who failed until they succeeded is evident in the follow timeline:

Age 22 - failed in business
Age 23 - defeated in his run for the Illinois State legislature
Age 24 - failed in business again
Age 25 - elected to the Illinois State Legislature
Age 27 - experienced a nervous breakdown
Age 28 - defeated in his run for House Speaker
Age 34 - defeated in his run for the US congress
Age 37 - elected to US congress
Age 39 - defeated in his run to be re-nominated for the US congress
Age 40 - rejected for land officer position
Age 45 - defeated in run for the US senate
Age 47 - defeated in fun for nomination for Vice President
Age 49 - defeated in his run for the US senate again
Age 51 - elected President

Abraham Lincoln did not see failure as failure, only as a means to success.

So begin now to fail and you will be that much closer to success.

LeaRae Keyes, RN is the Executive Director for the Nurse Entrepreneur Network, a subscription website for nurses in business or nurses wanting to be in their own business. Ms. Keyes provides coaching and information for nurse entrepreneurs and those wanting to be nurse entrepreneurs.

With over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, product development, intrapreneuring, and entrepreneuring she helps budding entrepreneurs start, develop, and grow their businesses. If you would like more information about the Nurse Entrepreneur Network or the services offered by LeaRae Keyes visit: http://www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com