How to Fail Successfully and Build Character

Failure builds character and prepares you for the future.

In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.

Anthony J. D’Angelo

What is Character?

Character is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. It is also the strength or originality in a person’s nature.

Our character challenges happen when we face setbacks, resistance, or failure. Mental and moral qualities are exposed when we face adversity, and we quickly learn in those situations. Resistance builds strength and teaches us great lessons.

Progress is in the experience of working through setbacks.

Progress is picking yourself up after you fall and moving forward until you get it done. Babies do it as they learn to walk. They try, fall, get back up, and try again until they stumble forward. The process is the same for us as we move through life, working through the next challenge.

Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

George Dana Boardman

What we do and who we become matters.

What we put our faith in, the habits we create, and the character we build is key to a life with purpose. If we are going to succeed, it will only come one failure at a time. If you are going to climb the ladder of success, make sure it is leaning against the right wall, and do not give up until you reach the top!

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Learn How to Fail with Character

I remember a story of a father taking his family camping in the mountains. He knows they will have to make several trips during the day and at night. He has small children, so he picks a campsite with a clear path to the bathroom.

Sitting by the campfire in the evening, his three girls announce that they have to go. He shows them the path and equips them with a flashlight. He instructs them to hold the lamp to their feet to provide light.

Soon one of the girls arrives back and sits down. “Where are your sisters,” the father asks. “they are coming,” the daughter replies. The father says, “didn’t I tell you to go together”? “Oops, sorry, Dad.” Soon the other two girls arrive, and the father asks, “Where is your light?” “I guess we left it back at the bathroom,” explains one daughter while the other daughter jumps in, announcing, “My sister got off the path and started walking in the dark by herself”!

What is a loving father to do but remind them by saying, “I am your father, and I give you instructions for a reason. I love you and want you to be safe, so I asked you to stay on the path and use your lights for a reason.”

Learn from mistakes and never give up

We all stray and do things on our own, thinking that we have it all figured out. Sometimes things work out fine; no harm, no foul. Other times we fail, experience setbacks, or even get hurt because we wander off the path and forget to use the light given to us for our benefit.

During those times, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and go back down the road toward our destination. We fail successfully and build character when we return to the right path and use the light.

Listening is not about being perfect but pursuing constant improvement.

• Hang with people who will support and encourage you
• Learn and grow daily
• Try to win more and fail less, knowing you will not be perfect
• After each win and loss, stop and reflect on what you learned
• Have a great attitude regardless of the circumstances
• Pursue your potential and get better at what you do
• Read books and seek counsel from wise people

Teach others how to fail forward and win

As you experience progress, make sure you invest that wisdom and help someone else through this process. Someone can benefit from the setbacks, failures, and lessons you have learned along the way.

Every circumstance offers a lesson if we slow down long enough to think about it and learn from it. Life’s most significant teachers are those who have endured tremendous failure and kept going until they won.

We should never hide from our failures and be open and honest about the journey. Someone needs to hear how you conquered something they are about to go through themselves.

Invest in yourself and help others along the way. Never be afraid to fail forward.

To Your Success.