"We're not flying, we're falling with style". So says Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 1 as he aims towards his goal of landing safely in his owner’s grasp. Buzz has realised that he can't fly, but he's making the best use of the resources he has and pushes on.
Have you ever been in a situation in business where you've made mistakes or realised you can't achieve a particular goal? Do you give up, feel like a complete failure and toss in the towel? Or do you imitate Buzz and make the best of your situation?
Many of the most successful business people can tell you stories of "failures", both when starting out, right up to the present day. And the thing that they will all be able to tell you is the significant lessons they learnt from that episode. Sure, we don't want to intentionally set out to "fail". But the learning that comes from a negative experience is often much greater than from positive ones.
Take Thomas Edison for example: he is reported to have said, "I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.". What a great positive spin! But also a great deal of truth. Who has all the answers every single time? Many of the best ideas and inventions come about after many trials and errors. And those experiences of "failing" teach those people what not to do, as well as instilling resilience, generating alternative ideas and possibly dreaming up some really successful ventures.
So don't be afraid to fail. You are likely to learn immeasurably and you will certainly not be alone! Every business owner has been there and either let it sink them or used it to grow
