from failure to success: moving the goalposts
Piggy-backing off of the latest post that highlighted my biggest tip for success as embracing failure, this week’s post is all about how you can move the goalposts to turn rejection and failure into an opportunity for success.
A while ago, while browsing the web, I saw a tweet that stopped me in my tracks. The tweet posed a challenge: receiving 100 rejections by the end of a year. The original poster shared how surprising this challenge turned out to be because a lot of the application responses were actually acceptances! I started to wonder how much I was limiting myself because of my fear of failure.
This challenge piqued my interest. I have feared failure and rejection since I was quite little, believing the lie that my worth was tied up in how others perceived and treated me. What if, I wondered, I was to embrace rejection instead of avoiding it?
Starting last year, I decided to stretch myself by aiming to achieve 100 rejections by the end of 2024. I created a Word doc to keep track of my progress and got to work. Here’s what I’ve learned so far.
001. Not everything is going to be a flop.
My love of lists is a strong one. As such, I created a tracker to keep track of my rejections. However, I quickly realized that I would need a more detailed system so I could track my attempts as well as my rejections because not everything turned out to be a flop! Originally, my tracker only included a section to note all of my failures, but my new and updated version contains a section for attempts as well as a section for rejections so I can still keep track of my progress visually while differentiating between the true rejections and the attempts at rejection that actually turned out how I was hoping!
002. I no longer fear rejection (as much).
This one is huge. I can’t believe how this challenge flipped the script I had playing on repeat in my head. Instead of fearing rejection and avoiding situations that may end in failure, I now welcome them! I’m much more willing to try new things or to step outside of my comfort zone because treating rejection as a goal instead of a hindrance means I can’t lose. Either I succeed at whatever I’m trying or I get to add another item to my rejections tracker and get closer to my goal of 100 rejections!
When you change your perspective to welcome rejection as a stepping stone to growth and learning you are freed up to try and experience so much more than you otherwise would. You are free to fail. You are free to be rejected. You are free to try new things because either way, something good will come of it.
003. Fearing failure and rejection holds me back from more than just productivity.
My rejections tracker applies to more than just my writing. I’ve applied it to sharing the gospel with someone. I’ve applied it to trying a new recipe that just did not go as planned. I’ve applied it to sorting out conflict with a friend that hasn’t worked out too well. There are so many options!
Think about the things you long to do but are just too scared to try for fear of failing. Think about what would happen if you let go of the fear and actually did the thing. How much good could you accomplish? How many people would you bless? What would change in your life?
The rejections tracker can apply to
Trying new recipes
Working out
Spending more time with those you love
Auditioning for something
Submitting writing to an agency
Applying for a new job or a new position
Inviting a friend to do something
Hosting an event or party
Sharing something with someone
Asking someone for assistance
If you want to do things that matter, you will have to embrace the fact that some of the things you try are going to fail miserably or be rejected. However, failure is not the end. A rejection doesn’t mean you can never try again or that you are doomed to fail from here on out.
A rejection merely provides you with an opportunity to try again. To try a different angle. To approach the problem differently.
If you want to cultivate a new mindset that moves the goalposts around what constitutes success, consider implementing your own 100 rejections goal. Keeping track of your progress visibly is encouraging and can spur you on to greater heights than you ever thought possible!
It won’t always be easy or fun, but I can assure you that it is well worth it.
And remember this: you can’t lose when your goal is to learn. Failure is not fatal. You’ve got this. I’m cheering you on!
