Failure or Success
She tried a system to keep her paper organized but she stopped using it..is she a failure? No she is a success because she tried.
He tried to launch a business but it didn’t end up working out…is he a failure? No he is a success because he faced his fear and stepped out of his comfort zone.
You tried to read 40 books last year but only got 37 read…are you a failure? No you are a success because you set a goal and read 37 books.
Dr. Seuss
Have you heard that Dr. Seuss’ first book “And to think I saw it on Mulberry Street” was rejected 27 times before finally being published in 1937. Was he a failure after his first attempt? His tenth attempt? His twentieth attempt? No he was a success regardless if his book was published or not.
Thomas Edison
Have you heard that Thomas Edison had more than 10,000 prototypes of the U.S. version of the light bulb (and he didn’t even “invent” the lightbulb, Sir Joseph Swan did). Was he a failure? Surely after the 999th attempt he was, right?
Thomas Jefferson
In Peter Hatch’s book, A Rich Spot of Earth, he states that “The use of the word ‘failed’ is repeated throughout [Thomas Jefferson’s] garden book, and one wonders if any gardener has written about failure as much as Thomas Jefferson. He once also wrote that if he failed 99 times out of 100, that one success was worth the 99 failures.”
Better is a lifetime
In the moment, our failure seems like the END. But each time we fail we are a success!
“Victory is a moment, BETTER is a lifetime!”
Helen on Chopped Champions said, “Victory is a moment, BETTER is a lifetime!” Then she got chopped. She wasn’t the chopped champion for a second time but she was better because she tried!
What have you failed at recently?
How are you better because of it?
- Keep trying to get organized.
- Keep trying to get consistent at processing your paper. Remember to stand up even though you feel like sitting on the comfy couch!
- Keep trying to get rid of things you aren’t using even if it is hard to let go and you “think you might need it!”
- Keep trying to resist ordering or buying another magazine or ripping out another article.
- Keep trying to spend 15 minutes putting things away every night so that you maintain your home.
KEEP TRYING!
YOU ARE A SUCCESS!
I am speaking to myself. I often feel like I don’t do enough or do it good enough. No matter how hard I try I can’t seem to keep up a routine. But, today I remind myself I am better because I tried…I am a success…I am enough.
More on success
I love posting links to valuable resources…If you want to read more on the topic of Success here is Janet Barclay’s February Professional Organizer’s Blog Carnival with 20 posts on the topic of Success! Happy reading and MUCH success to you!!
This post made me feel really good, from the moment I saw that pink Success key. I’ve pinned it to my Achieving Awesomeness board on Pinterest and will be sure to re-read it any time I need a boost of encouragement. Thanks, Tracy!
I need to read it again, too! 🙂 If we could only keep this in the front of our mind!
The message here is so important, Tracy. Isn’t it interesting how many of us think that when we try something new that we’ll succeed at it the first time? How often does that happen? It’s rare. Most of us need practice. We need to NOT do it correctly before we succeed. Learning or failing is part of the success process. Thanks for the great reminder.
Hmmm, I was thinking that one must be really passionate and focused about what they are trying to do/accomplish. Otherwise, what will keep them pursuing it through failure and more failure?! Maybe that is the key! 🙂