Think about the last time you failed at something that mattered. That sinking feeling in your stomach? That’s where real growth starts. Strange as it sounds, failure, early and often, is one of the fastest ways to learn, adapt, and improve.
We’re constantly faced with choices. Should I go with Option A or Option B? Your experience and knowledge will take you part of the way toward a decision. But eventually, you have to make a call, and that usually means taking a leap.
The sooner you take that leap, the sooner you’ll know if your choice was the right one. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, you’ve saved time, learned something in the process, and can pivot to another potential route. As Babe Ruth put it, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
Don’t Let Overthinking Hold You Back
We’ve all, at one time or another, been stuck in analysis paralysis. You’ve reviewed the data, debated the pros and cons, asked for feedback, and maybe even lost sleep over it. But even with all that effort, you still hesitate.
Give your decisions the time and attention they deserve, but no more than that. Once you’ve taken a fair look at the facts and weighed your options, make a choice and move forward. Carrying regret with you afterward will only drain your energy and build unnecessary stress. In fact, research shows that chronic regret can negatively impact your mental and physical health. Over time, it can even become a pattern.[1]
Protect Your Mental Energy
Staring at the same problem for hours without making progress is more common than you might think. This kind of mental grinding is exhausting. It often leads to procrastination, frustration, and burnout.
When your brain perceives a challenge as overwhelming, it responds with stress. That stress doesn’t just make the problem harder to solve. It can also affect your well-being and your ability to focus.
One of the most effective ways to protect your mental energy is to step away for a moment. Give yourself space to reset.
Change the Channel to Recharge
If you feel like you’re stuck, it helps to change your surroundings or do something unrelated to the task at hand. Step outside for a quick walk. Play a game. Read something light. Doodle in a notebook. Chat with a colleague. Anything that gives your mind a break.[2]
You don’t need a long break. Sometimes, just ten minutes is enough to reset your focus and shift your perspective. When you return to the task, you’ll likely find yourself more capable and less stressed.
Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” That phrase always reminds me that it’s the act of continuing that matters most. The words “failure is not fatal” speak volumes. They remind us that even if things don’t work out, we can still move forward.
Failure Isn’t the End. It’s Part of the Process.
Not every decision will be perfect. Not every risk will pay off. That’s just part of how growth works. Failing, then reflecting on what didn’t work and also comparing to how other succeeded is what drive the process forward.
Learning to take action in the face of uncertainty is a skill you can develop. And even when things don’t go the way you hoped, it’s rarely as bad as you imagine. More often, it’s a lesson that gets you one step closer to what works.
Make a choice. Take the step. Learn from the result. Then take another shot, stronger and smarter than before.
Want to Explore More?
Here are a few resources that dive deeper into these ideas:
