How do you feel when you don't reach sales targets? How do you feel when your plans don't have the results you expected? Are you frustrated when you do not achieve the desired growth, when unforeseen events change your plans or when the project you have in mind does not go as planned?
The story of Tomas Edison, creator of the electric light bulb, is very interesting in this regard. The story that he himself wrote in his early days tells that he was with a friend conducting an experiment and while doing so created a small explosion that shook the room where they were and that scared them a lot. After the explosion he gets up, takes his diary while his friend was still trembling with fright and begins to write. His friend says to him: “What's wrong, are you crazy? If you almost killed us, are you going to need to fail 10,000 times to give up that stupid idea? ”Edison responds by saying that he had not failed with that experiment. His friend says to him: "This is your failure number 9,999". And Edison answers: “No, it is not, I have discovered the way number 9,999 of how NOT to create an electric light bulb.And I also discovered how to create a small explosion, which could be useful somewhere else. ”Edison created many artifacts that improved life and the world by being the third most prolific inventor in history. This story shows us how each of the experiments that others could consider failures, for him was a knowledge that brought him closer and closer to his goals.
So the next time you don't reach your goals, or they say "no," or things don't go as planned, instead of getting frustrated and considering it a failure, ask yourself:
• What is that experience teaching you?
• How can you do better next time?
• What things would you change if you tried again?
And instead of demoralizing you, you will use that experience to your advantage, you will gain knowledge and you will put your energy to advance instead of frustrating and paralyzing.
Wouldn't our life be much easier if instead of demoralizing ourselves by a “no”, we used it to our advantage and took advantage of that experience? Can you imagine what life would be like when things don't go as we expect and still feel good? Can you imagine how much it would increase our productivity and creativity if instead of demoralizing ourselves when things don't go as we hoped, our energy would be focused on finding new ways and better ways to do it? Surely, everything would change…
