allume

real light living

4 Ways to Make the Most of Failing

By

 

Successful woman onlineA few Fridays ago I hosted my blog’s first Facebook chat to kick-off the first day of summer. I whipped up snazzy graphics and posted announcements all over Facebook and Twitter. The day of the chat, I was giddy with anticipation as I tried guessing how many people would join in. 10? 20? 30? Or, maybe even more? In the end, you know how many people showed up? Two. Just me and one of my blog’s contributors. Thirty grueling, drawn-out minutes spent hoping and waiting for the crowd to arrive. But it wasn’t to be. (Granted, a few others eventually chimed in with comments in the days to follow.) I was disappointed…and quite embarrassed if I’m honest. For a hot second, I considered deleting my Facebook page and ditching blogging. What’s the point of it all, I questioned. After feeling sorry for myself for a few minutes, I was reminded of countless success stories lined with bumps in the road called failures. So why then, would I let this blip derail me? Instead, I decided to F.A.I.L. like a boss. Here’s how…

1. Have Faith

Failure undoubtedly causes fears to rise. Do I have what it takes? Does anyone care? How can I make it when there are already so many great _______ out there? Instead of believing these lies, trust in your calling. Forget the numbers. Forget how long it takes to get where you’re going or who’s doing what. You must believe in your dreams first.

2. Check the Attitude

When plans don’t go the way you expected, your true motivations often show. Are you out for your own fame or praises, or are you truly seeking to do the will of God? One will let pride and embarrassment stop you, the other will push you to persevere. If giving up comes easy, check the attitude.

3. Investigate

Step back and look at the failure objectively. What could you do differently? Are you lacking certain skills or resources? Is there someone with the expertise to help you? What does a trusted friend or mentor have to say?

4. Listen

Go to a quiet place. What does God have to say about it all? Perhaps He is using the moment to draw you closer or teach you something new. Instead of complaining or whining about how things turned out, take time to listen for His voice.

 

While failures can seem like an end to a dream, they certainly don’t have to be. Have you ever been sidetracked by a failure? How did you get back on the path to success?

kacey-bess

As one of the voices behind Next Level Mama, Kacey has a heart for leading mamas to parent with purpose. By day, she analyzes numbers as a budget analyst, but it’s her “job” as mama to three little ones that’s her most challenging and enjoyable ever. This die-hard Texas girl can’t get enough of blogging, Kindle books and desserts. You can catch her tweeting away at @nextlevelmama.

Comments

  2. The perfect plan for future success! 🙂 Great post, my friend. Sorry to have missed your Facebook chat. If I’d known about it, I’m sure I would have shown up to say hello.

    • Ha-ha! It’s all good. A great lesson came out of that fail, so I can’t complain too much.

  3. When things don’t go the way we planned or hoped, it is often a great opportunity to look back and focus on a new direction. I really think that sometimes the biggest growth comes not from success, but from challenges.

    • I love how you put that…”sometimes the biggest growth comes not from success, but from challenge.” So, so true. Ahem, don’t be surprised if i tweet that this week. 🙂

  5. Definitely a great post! Things don’t always go as planned but there is still a lesson and a reason…

  6. Great post, Kacey, and couldn’t have come at a better time for me. This has been one of those re-assessing weeks for me. Thanks for sharing this post and being an encouragement during that process!

    • I’m so glad to hear that. During the reassessing phase, listening is definitely important. I pray things are made clear for you and that you’ve come out of this week with a new sense of passion and purpose. 🙂

  7. Great post! Super reminder! I’m sorry I missed the initial one…and I may have read it and not commented… But the take-away is really good, and confirms something God impressed on my heart from an Ann Voskamp workshop a few weeks back… For me it’s to stop looking at the numbers… Blog for God!
    Thanks for sharing!!

  8. What the enemy meant for harm, God sure used for good, because this post is spot on, Kacey!! I really needed to hear this. Sorry about the first chat attempt, but keep going girl!

  9. Kacey, you’re right: this is how to F.A.I.L! I especially like “A” and “L”. Sometimes we’re so focused on our own goals that we forget that our blogs are God’s work. I know I’ve felt like giving up when I feel that I’m literally writing to myself, but then God reminds me why I’m blogging.

    • I have too, but now I know it’s so not about me. My attitude definitely changed when I realized that blogging could be a form of ministry.

  10. Kacey–I love the idea of failing like a boss! 🙂 Thanks for the perspective. It will remind me next time I “fail” that I don’t have to let it mean I’m a failure.

  11. Great insight here in looking at failing from a different perspective. When something doesn’t work out, the enemy would love for us to forget it all together, but God can show us a purpose in it.

  12. This is an acronym I definitely have to remember! We definitely have to take our dreams and goals in stride knowing that in the end, God is in control. Learning to be patient and trusting that things will work out for our good is a life-long lesson to learn.

  13. Perhaps God had you hold that FB chat specifically to have you be inspired to write this post. 🙂
    A great list to remember when we fall and fail. Thanks!

  14. Wonderful post! The ability to look at FAILure in a new light is worth cultivating!

  16. Thank you for your guidance on what to do when the numbers just don’t add up. He is still in control. I just read this morning in John how Jesus met the weeping Mary at the tomb. She, one woman, was given the message, “tell them I’m alive.” Maybe He wants us to color beauty into only one heart or speak into the soul of just that one person. He loves the one even when looking at the multitude. What a great God we have.

Categories

Archives

Google+