Anyone who has ever achieved success, has achieved it because they kept trying until they succeeded. Any large goal will have obstacles and failures along the way. It is critical that you don’t let these come in your way, and you keep trying until you succeed.
Advice from Masters: Quotes & Tips on Dealing with Failure & Uncertainty
Never blame luck: Instead of blaming luck, research those setbacks. If you lose, learn. Lots of folks go through life explaining their mediocrity with “hard luck,” “tough luck,” “sour luck,” “bad luck.” These people are still like children, immature, searching for sympathy. Without realizing it, they fail to see opportunities to grow bigger, stronger, more self-reliant.
Think defeat: The real problem is that when most people hit the TAR (Things Are Rough) barrier, they think only defeat and so they are defeated.
Value of persistence: All it took was a persistent man who never thought he was defeated.
Failure is inevitable: It is not possible to win high-level success without meeting opposition, hardship, and setback.
Learn from setbacks: leaders in every field follow this success principle: salvage something from every setback.
Be flexible to try new approaches: Many ambitious people go through life with admirable persistence and show of ambition, but they fail to succeed because they don’t experiment with new approaches. Stay with your goal. Don’t waver an inch from it. But don’t beat your head against a wall. If you aren’t getting results, try a new approach.
Belief: When you believe there is a way you automatically convert negative energy (let’s quit, let’s go back) into positive energy (let’s keep going, let’s move ahead).
Start afresh: Back off and start afresh. Often we stay so close to a problem for so long that we can’t see new solutions or new approaches. When you hit a snag, don’t throw up the whole project. Instead, back off, get mentally refreshed. Try something as simple as playing some music or taking a walk or a short nap. Then, when you tackle it again, the solution often comes almost before you know it.
David J Schwartz – The Magic of Thinking Big
I’ve learned it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve failed, you only have to be right once.
Mark Cuban
Fail better: ‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ You won’t believe what you can accomplish by attempting the impossible with the courage to repeatedly fail better.”
Tim Ferris – Author – 4-hour workweek / Tools of Titans / Tribe of Mentors
When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.
Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost within reach.
Napoleon Hill – Author – Think and Grow Rich / Law of Success / Outwitting the Devil
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.
Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.
Paul Coelho – Author – The Alchemist
Imagine that in order to have a great life you have to cross a dangerous jungle. You can stay safe where you are and have an ordinary life, or you can risk crossing the jungle to have a terrific life. How would you approach that choice? Take a moment to think about it because it is the sort of choice that, in one form or another, we all have to make.
Ray Dalio – Author, Billionaire Investor – Principles: Life and Work
Top 10 Books on Dealing with Uncertainty & Failure
The road to success is filled with obstacles, uncertainty and failure. These 10 books will help equip you to better deal with such barriers and continue onwards towards fulfilling your goals.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life
Authors: Scott Adams,
Mainstream career advice does not work for everyone. That is why this book is a gamechanger. Scott Adams teaches you how to convert the failures of your life into opportunities that will invite success to your doorstep. Learn the tricks and strategies he used to go from zero to the world-renowned creator of Dilbert — with guaranteed entertainment.
Spartan Up!: A Take-No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Peak Performance in Life
Authors: Joe De Sena,Jeff O'Connell
Will is your biggest hurdle. Discipline is your biggest strength. De Sena and O’Connell teach how you can master these two and achieve “obstacle immunity”. Their insights will drag you out of the comfort zone and prepare you to face the battle of life. Based on lessons learnt from the Spartan race, the authors will help you reach your highest potential in every area of life.
In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars
Authors: Mark Batterson,
When opportunity knocks on your door, fear chases it away. Mark Batterson’s insights will teach you to conquer this fear, to face the risks boldly and to make the most of the opportunities God chose to send in your way. It’s time to chase the lion!
Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure
Authors: Tim Harford,
The world is so consumed with unpredictability that plans and strategies alone won’t suffice. Harford combines psychology, economics, physics and even biology to help you develop the trait that will help you thrive — adaptability. Whether it’s to tackle global warming or starvation, Harford’s Adapt holds the key to overcoming the challenges you will face.
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
Authors: Pema Chodron,Emily Hilburn Sell
From dealing with emotions like fear and sadness, to more positive ones like love and kindness, Chodron’s insights will make you more aware of your life so you can be more open to compassion. Discover the illuminating and life-enhancing concepts of Buddhism in a simple, easy-to-understand way, and you will find a new strength with which to face challenges.
Rejection Proof: 100 Days of Rejection, or How to Ask Anything of Anyone at Anytime
Authors: Jia Jiang,
Jia Jiang came to the US with the dream of becoming the next Bill Gates. But his very first rejection, made him lose hope and question his capabilities. Realizing that his inability to handle rejection was a greater dilemma, he then trained himself to accept a “no” with confidence. And then how this “no” can eventually be converted to a successful “yes”.
Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success
Authors: John C. Maxwell,
According to the international bestseller, John C. Maxwell, the way a person responds to failure is what determines whether they are mediocre or made for success. Unlike other books of do’s-and-don’ts, Maxwell’s Failing Forward is a personal insight into how you can befriend failure. He argues that problems are inevitable, so you might as well fail forward than backward.
Three Feet From Gold: Turn Your Obstacles Into Opportunities
Authors: Sharon L. Lechter,Greg S. Reid, Dan John Miller
Through the life-changing stories of the producer of “Oprah and friends”, a boxing champion and a Nobel nominee, the authors reveal the principles of never giving up. Three Feet from Gold is a book about undying passion, discovering your own success formula and choosing the right people for advice. It all starts when you choose to never give up.
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
Authors: Ryan Holiday,
2000 years ago, Marcus Aurelius said, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Inspired by his words and Stoic philosophy, Ryan Holiday shows you how you can convert all the pain and suffering into opportunities in life that will strengthen you and open doors you never knew existed.
Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination
Authors: J.K. Rowling,Joel Holland
Your favourite author, J.K. Rowling, gives you more reasons to love her in this book. Drawing from her very own experiences in life, she shows you how failure can redirect you towards the success that awaits you. The creator of Harry Potter reveals the power of imagination and how it can transform the world one person at a time.
Top Videos on Dealing with Uncertainty & Failure
Inspiring Heather Dorniden Takes a Fall But Still Wins the Race
A truly inspiring example of never giving up. Watch Heather Dorniden win a race despite taking a fall.
What I learned from 100 days of rejection | Jia Jiang
Jia Jiang’s TED Talk on his 100-day experiment with Rejection Therapy – actively seeking rejection for a period of time, to overcome the fear of rejection. Discover his remarkable experience and the invaluable life lessons trying to borrow $100 from a stranger, requesting a burger refill, buying Olympic ring doughnuts and more.
Other concepts on Dedication
Commitment & Perseverance
Perseverance is the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. You are sure to come up against obstacles, challenges, doubts and failures as you progress towards your goals. People who succeed persevere with their efforts no matter how hard the challenges, while others give up on their dreams once the going gets too tough.
Small Steps
We often see success and excellence post-facto, and it appears the sheer magnitude of what has been achieved seems impossible to replicate. What is not appreciated is that it was not any one major accomplishment, but a series of small steps taken consistently and persistently over a period of time that added up to something great.