One step at a time

Are you concerned about making a mistake? Good! The situations where you’re most likely to make mistakes are also situations in which you have the greatest opportunities to make progress. When you have something on the line, there’s much to be gained.

No, of course you don’t want to set out with the express purpose of making mistakes. What you do want to do is to put yourself in circumstances that challenge you to grow. Whenever there’s the possibility of making a bad impression, there’s also the possibility to make a great impression. When the challenges are great, so are the possibilities for making real progress.

Success comes from being able to accept the risk of failure. If you can’t live with the possibility of failure, you won’t ever create any success. So how do you live with the possibility of failure? Keep in mind that failure is never final. It’s just one more step on the way to achieving what you intend to achieve. It’s an opportunity to learn. It’s an opportunity to become more determined.

Put your very best into the effort. If you don’t get the intended results, learn from it and adjust your approach. The quickly step forward and put your very best into a new effort. That way, you never really fail. You’re succeeding, one step at a time.