How Learning From Mistakes Can Lead to Success Infographic

How Learning From Mistakes Can Lead to Success Infographic

Failing doesn’t always mean you’re out of the game. Sometimes you have to look at the bright side of failure and learn from it. Let’s take a look at some famous failures and how these people, and the work they produced, achieved astounding successes.

Famous Fails

Absolutely no one would ever call these famous figures “failures.” But all of them are no strangers to disappointment.

• J.K. Rowling: Before becoming the best-selling author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling was seriously down on her luck. But she definitely turned it around, with a now $15 million brand.
• Steve Jobs: Sometimes failures are a blessing in disguise, as the late CEO of Apple discovered. He went on to build an empire that led him back to his own tech start-up and made him a billionaire.
• Bill Gates: Gates often felt like a failure for dropping out of Harvard, but even more so when his first startup, Traf-O-Data, went under. But he went on to become the billionaire owner of Microsoft and an extremely charitable philanthropist.
• Michael Jordan: In his younger years, Jordan was overlooked by some basketball coaches because he didn’t reach the minimum height standard. Now, his championship record and Nike apparel speak for themselves.
• Albert Einstein: Though known as one of the most brilliant minds in history, Einstein was once expelled from school and subsequently refused entrance to the Zurich Polytechnic School.
• Abraham Lincoln: After failing in business and suffering a nervous breakdown, Lincoln went on to become one of the most influential presidents of the United States.

Turning Failure Into Success

Here are some simple steps that will help you look at failure a little differently.

1. Investigate what went wrong. Don’t generalize or place blame. Just objectively find where it all went wrong.
2. Learn from failure. Don’t fall into the trap of repeating history. Learn from your failure and vow never to make that mistake again.
3. Realize you’ve nothing left to fear. Once you’ve failed, you’ll know that there is nothing left to be afraid of. You’ve hit bottom, so now all you can do is head upward.
4. Recognize accountability. If you were the reason you failed, accept responsibility. But don’t beat yourself up about it — just move on.
5. Find innovation. In failure, there is room for creativity. Sometimes trying new things leads to failure, but you are more apt to take risks because of it.