Sometimes situations do not turn out the way we would have wanted them too. We determine we want something and no matter what we do it may not be the right time for us. It is hard when we fail, yet there are reasons why failing can be good for us.
I remember a time when I applied for a job as a nursing supervisor in the hospital where I worked. It sounded like a role I could embrace and learn so much from. It paid a little bit more each week. The hours involved would benefit my family.
I had just changed jobs less than a year earlier, moving to the critical care unit in that same hospital. The critical care unit was a place where new skills were practiced each day. There was still so much learning I could benefit from in the critical care nurse role, so the timing to apply for yet another job wasn’t great.
Overlooking any feelings of uncertainty, I applied for the new position. There were several intense rounds of job interviews. I was nervous about my chances and knew others had applied for the job as well. When I left the interview, I didn’t feel confident I was going to be successful in obtaining this position. I went home and prayed that I would get the new job.
Finally, the phone call came. The manager told me he had picked another applicant for the job. Rejection is hard and I was initially disappointed that I had not won the prize.
There were some lessons I learned from that experience that led me to conclude that there are reasons why failing can actually be good for us. You may be thinking how can failing be good.
Failing at something doesn’t make us feel very good about ourselves. Initially anyway. Once we get over the shock and stop feeling sorry for ourselves we can look at the situation and realize a few things. There are reasons why failing can be good for us.
Reasons Why Failing Can Be Good For Us # 1
Failing Can Lead to Better Things
For me, failing to get the new job meant I stayed in the old job. I wasn’t seeking a new opportunity because I was unhappy in my job. Quite the opposite was true.The critical care unit provided some awesome opportunities. The manager was smart and supportive of all of us. My co-workers worked well as a team.
I learned new and exciting ways to better care for my critically ill patients every day. I ended up staying in that unit for almost 5 years. It was a really good 5 years and I left with way more confidence in my critical care nursing and leadership skills.
A bonus in this situation was the person who did take that role was awesome at the job. She grew as a leader and her growth was evident in the decisions she made that were a benefit to everyone.
Reasons Why Failing Can Be Good For Us # 2
We Learn
Have you ever heard that old saying that most successful people have failed? Sometimes they have failed over and over. It is probably way more uncommon to be successful the first time we do something. I learned that praying for something does not mean it will happen. Sometimes it’s hard to remember if it’s not supposed to happen it will not happen.
Think back to something as simple as learning to ride a bike. Most likely you fell a few times before you managed that perfect combination of balance, pedaling, steering and looking up to avoid a collision.
We learn from our mistakes. Each mistake often takes us closer to accomplishing our goal. Mistakes allow us to discard the ideas that didn’t work and move on to the next concept. That can be a hard concept to embrace.
Reasons Why Failing Can Be Good For Us # 3
It Makes Us Tougher
This may be the most important reason of all. Failing can make us tougher. Or maybe you prefer the term resilient. Knowing we can forget and pick ourselves back up and go on makes us feel invincible.
Let’s face it, life can be challenging sometimes on a day-to-day basis. The ability to face the storms we will encounter is a useful trait to have. When we do succeed, we can savor our success that much more.
There you have it 3 reasons why failing can be good for us. Failure can lead us to things that are better than what we originally wanted. We always learn from our failures. Sometimes our learning is big and sometimes it is in small ways. Failing can make us tougher and more resilient.
We can trust in ourselves more when we know we are strong enough to fail at something and get back up and try again. What are some of the lessons you have learned from failing?
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