Ahh hello again internet. Today's installment of Lexie Nonsense™️ is brought to you by the notion of making mistakes and the art of failing forward (both of which are things that I do quite often and yet still seem to struggle with,, but HEY that's why we're gonna talk about 'em!).
Mistakes
Feeling like a ninny-head who is anything less than perfect at a task at hand is a rubbish experience that makes moving forward a slow and painful process. But recently, I've realized that that's exactly what it is... a process. In my twenty-some-odd years on this planet, I've learned that the art of making mistakes is a tricky one to master, but is a technique that one must continually practice.
This is easier said than done.
Truthfully, I am so incredibly crummy at stomaching this concept, but here I am shouting into the void of time and space (and the weird concept that is the internet) that I... Lexie Yut... make mistakes. Whew. Feels good.
I make mistakes. And I've got the really bad habit of beating myself up about it when I do make mistakes. I think everyone struggles with this to some extent. It's apart of what makes us human. It's that nasty little voice in our head that can be and say the meanest things. Telling her to quiet down can be a daunting task, but it's an important one to do nonetheless.
One of the biggest things that's helped me in fighting off the nasty voice is getting real up close and personal with the idea of failure. And not just failure, but the added task of failing forward.
Failure
The face of a disgruntled perfectionist trying her best to understand FIN 357.
This semester, I was faced with the fearfully daunting task of taking a basic Business Finance course to finish out the final requirements for my undergraduate degree. AND BOY, let me tell you, this Finance course was the BANE OF MY EXISTENCE for the total 112 days 12 hours and 43 minutes that the Fall 2018 semester lasted. Any and every human I came into contact with over the course of the semester did not leave my presence until I'd told them of the woes and struggles I had to endure through the entirety of learning about stocks and bonds and annuities and perpetuities.
For most of the semester, my grade in Finance sat at a lovely 49.7%... hah yeah. Out of 100%. TALK ABOUT FAILING! So obviously, Business Finance just ain't my thang... and that is a hard thing for me to wrap my perfectionist little brain around.
Those who reach for the highest goals will often stumble along the way; not because they are weak, but because they are strong enough to try.
But here's the thing about failing: it involves risk-taking and mistake-making that undeniably leads to significant growth in a person. I failed assignment after assignment in that fun old Finance class of mine and felt absolutely beaten up about it, but when I look back at where I was in September versus now...? There is an undeniable growth in my skills, my mindset, and my abilities related to not only Finance but to the learning process overall.
So when finals came around and my Finance grade still sat at its way-below-average-seriously-on-the-verge-of-failing-no-class-curve-can-save-you-now 49.7%, I knew I had some failing forward momentum within me that I needed to exercise. So I made a study plan. And I tried my best to stick to it. I failed a few times and I definitely let my inner nasty voice get to me throughout the process, but I survived. And I made it out alive with a passing final exam grade and a D+ average in the class. D FREAKING PLUS !!! I was and still am incredibly proud of my D+ :') (and it turns out, my professor had the same sentiments. 💯)
Overall, I've learned that I'm one tough chica who can endure being pushed around a bit by the unknown. That learning is a process and failure is a huge part of that process. And that failing can be extremely beneficial when you learn how to move forward and better yourself from that failure.
Lessons In Failing Forward
- Even if a failure isn’t your fault, take responsibility for your future success.
- The only way to make failure useful is to learn from it.
- Focus on three things to make the most of the opportunities you get.
In ~~conclusion~~ failing STIIIINKS. Embracing failure as a natural, necessary part of the process is really hard to do, but is a process that'll help you find the confidence you need to proceed anyway.
So onwards, my friends. Go out, do cool things, fail along the way, and move forward.
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For more examples of ways that I fail on a daily basis, follow my shenanigans on Twitter