Failure Is Always An Option

When autumn rolls around we become far more aware of the clock ticking toward to the end of the year.  November arrives and we become hyper-focused on our “end of year goals.”

For me, it always intensifies an already intense job. Historically during this time of year I ramp up my already ramped-up efforts to achieve whatever work-related milestone is important to me that particular year.

The result is tremendous additional stress as the finish line approaches and I am either unsure of the outcome or it provides a temporary relief, because I believe I will achieve my goals.

Either way is simply exhausting and unenjoyable.

This year will be different. I might finally be learning my lesson, thanks to failure.

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2020 has been a very unusual year to say the least. For most people it has been a particularly challenging year.  In my case, because my DNA historically defaults to the “what if” stress inducing scenarios, I decided to take a proactive approach once the negativity shit storm hit through the application of gratitude.

I was concerned about the negativity I was constantly hearing surrounding Covid, the quarantine, schools and politics and refused to get sucked down the rabbit hole.

I tried to immerse myself in positivity. In addition to my normal routine (meditation, affirmations, etc…) I did something that always works: I turned my attention outward instead of inward by focusing my attention on positive messages (today being day 225 posted on my personal FB page). I decided to give myself and others something good to think about.*  

All of that said, often times I failed. In fact, I failed a lot this year.

This year I often failed to stay positive. I would wake up in a panic, worried, scared, uncertain…  That’s a failure to myself. With respect to work, there was a period where things seems to move a bit sideways (which often happens) instead of forward.  I suppose that is a failure at work. This lead me to become a bit of a dick at home. That’s a failure to my family.

So what did I do? Very simple. I just did not give up. I kept my head down, trusted the process and worked through it. I tried.

Eventually, things started going in the normal direction at work (as they always ultimately do).  I continued living in gratitude by meditating, breathing and reciting affirmations to calm myself and continued posting to focus my attention outward instead of inward which worked.

Still, I continued and continue to occasionally fail. I am still getting stressed on occasion. I will fail to hit some goals at work that are personally important to me. The point is, I failed a lot this year but I keep trying and remember that EVERYTHING WILL BE OK,

So this year as Autumn arrived and quickly passes us by, things are different. I will keep trying but I am not afraid to fail.

Now November is just about Thanksgiving.

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**Don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to be the Jewish Mother Theresa.  I need this as much as anyone but if I help others that is far better.