Saturday, October 8, 2011
Failure IS an option
Gene Kranz got it wrong.
History has not been rewritten...Apollo 13 did make it back but Gene Kranz did miss the mark.
It's not "Failure is not an option" it's "Because of previous failures, we are now able to succeed."
To fail...inherently means to try.
Failure should be welcomed, embraced and employed because it means you are putting yourself "out there"...taking chances or risks that will eventually improve your mission, product or service.
There was obviously something wrong with the Apollo 13 mission. There was a failure somewhere along the way.
The key is to identify when failure does not mean the end of the trail. What is the ultimate goal? If you really think about it, your failure is just a step in the process...a link in the chain.
Ever hear the saying "lose the battle...win the war?" Same principle applies. In other words...fail first but ultimately succeed.
Don't lament about your failures. Use them to help you achieve success later.
Remember...failure is an option. We may not like it...but we sure do need it.
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Very true, Joe. Like this!
ReplyDeleteExcellent! You know, I'm mom to a little perfectionist who often gives up on things if she doesn't master them on the first attempt. I love what you wrote here, as it's given me another way to talk with her about why it's okay to "fail."
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