For years, I have been wanting to give a TEDx talk. It has always seemed so amazing to be able to share an idea worth spreading. For years, I didn’t make it. The dozen applications I had sent out, were never good enough. Until finally, one was. If there is anything you want to succeed at, this post might be just what you need to get ahead!
Success is not found on the opposite of failure. Instead, it is the accumulation of experiences gained by learning and gaining new insights that brings us closer to our goals. To have experiences, we have to dare to try. By trying, we often fail. But as long as we continue going forward, we are still getting ahead. That is why we benefit from Failing Forward! And here’s how.
First, we have to Fail Fast. The longer it takes to fail, the longer it takes to succeed. If I had known that it would only take a dozen times to fail before I would make it, I probably would have failed even faster. The same goes for many other examples. If there is a customer waiting for your products, faster value delivery means faster feedback loops. Even when the customer isn’t satisfied, the transparency creates trusts and trusts creates a connection with the customer that sets the stage to delivering even more value in the future. So whenever there is something to gain, be sure to be willing to lose as quickly as possible. Fail Fast.
After we have Failed Fast, it is time to Fail Frequently. Each time I wasn’t chosen I researched the talks that did and I learned what set them apart. I spend a lot of time on improving my own value. My first one was good, but not good enough. My second try was even better, but still there was room for improvement. The third attempt provided me tangible insights on how to make the fourth stand out even more. And so every failure was better than the one before, until I reached the point that I couldn’t call it failing anymore. I was simply going forward. When each attempt brings you closer to your goal, you want to try as often as you can. Fail Frequently.
The last one might be the most important. Failing is probably not anybody’s hobby, so it can be quite demotivating. I know that I had lost faith many times when I tried to make it and kept getting rejected. When I lost the spark of enjoying the process, my attempts lost their spark as well. It took me some time and a lot of support from others to believe in my own abilities again. But the moment I remembered the calmness and clarity that speaking can bring me, was the moment when I actually made it. So if you want to learn how to receive and deliver value, make sure that you find a way to enjoy getting there. It will make everything a lot more manageable. So Fail Fondly.
After Failing Fast, Failing Frequently and finally Failing Fondly, I managed to achieve a lifelong dream. Failing Forward, I got invited by TEDxLeidenUniversity to give a TEDx Talk.
And that was when I discovered that getting selected was the easy part.