Failure is not an option

by Darren

Have you ever heard that phrase? It’s such a bold statement that you really have to think about it for a moment, because it challenges a lot of our existing beliefs. It’s easy to always assume that failure is indeed an option, and one that many people choose with stunning regularity. But there are times when failure literally is not one of the options, so preparing it for it doesn’t even enter anyone’s mind.

When you adopt an attitude that doesn’t allow for failure, it eliminates many of the regular thought processes you may bring to the table. You can see why some people would adopt this attitude. Bomb removal squads would be one that comes immediatedly to mind. One mistake there and the whole team dies, so no way should mission failure be something people come to expect.

Samurais felt the same way in ancient days. To fail was to die, so they’d fall on their sword if they felt they failed in some way. Not many modern people will share that attitude. Instead, people have adopted failure wholly, and can quickly make excuses for even the most basic reasons. What’s this all about? Just one more habit we must pick up along the way, and a habit that truly fortunate people learn to get over.

So how can we adopt this attitude in daily life? It won’t be easy, but we can start making ourselves aware of areas that we’re breaking down in, and we can focus time and energy on them. We need to push ourselves a bit harder than usual. It shouldn’t be hard to do, but at times it can be.

If we steel ourselves with the thought that “Failure is not an option”, maybe we’ll come up with something other than failure as our end result. What can it hurt to try?