589 - Why Trying (and Failing) Matters

In this episode, we look at why trying something once and subsequently failing at it matters so much for finding success.

The Problem

What if I told you that there is a real reason why you are struggling to achieve your goals? Like a real, solid reason. Not some wishy washy excuse?

Well there is. It may not be the only reason, and it certainly isn’t some secret technique that you need to pay me money to learn. But there is a real reason.

The reason is simple, we don’t fully understand the process of setting goals and working towards them.

Digging Deeper

For years the self-help industry has touted the value of setting goals. There have been hundreds of books, podcasts, youtube videos, and speeches dedicated to the topic. We’ve created frameworks and processes and systems designed to make goal-setting easier or more straightforward.

I’ve been a part of this too. Because for a long time I bought into the idea that the biggest problem in goal-setting was just that the systems were broken. I thought that if we could just improve the process for people then more people would accomplish there goals.

That might still be true, but improving the system does nothing if it doesn’t consider the reality of the situation that the system deals with.

The Solution

So here’s my advice. Try things. Try them once. 

Use that initial motivation to fuel immediate action and take it. Fail at it. Let yourself go through the full process. 

Doing this will allow you to get an idea of the work involved and what kind of motivation is required to sustain yourself. It will also help you understand whether or not this is a goal worth trying again. 

The good news is that if you do decide to try again you’ll be approaching it with a much more balanced understanding of the effort required for that outcome. This should help reduce that burnout and keep you running much longer.

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Resources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neuronarrative/202003/why-we-often-fail-reach-our-goals

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432819313889