Success in Progress - Don't Let the Past Define You

To accept failure as a part of the journey and not as the end of the road seems to be an unusual concept. For most people the word success evokes images of money, luxury and a fast life. While these are certainly desirable, there are other aspects to successful living which are equally important. Success, they say, is to be measured not against what you have but against what you do with what you have.


If you look at success as a destination then you will find that it is often confused with the concept of progress. Many times we set too high a standard of what we want and then fail to achieve it. Progress can involve taking small steps forward and eventually reaching a level of success where the whole journey is seen as a success. By contrast many times we set very low standards and fail to even see a light at the end of the tunnel. We are so used to success that failure has the feeling of being taboo.

So how do we accept failure and what does it mean? Well, many times the greatest glory is not from winning at something, but from falling doing it. The greatest glory in life is not won by competing in a particular sport or excelling at a particular business. It is often won by stepping back, looking at what we had done and saying 'that was nothing'. Not only have we not won anything but we have wept with joy at the fact that we did try.

Accepting and moving on from our failures is a vital step on the road to success. Often we make mistakes, but we also learn from them. We don't just learn from making mistakes but also the fact that we did not try. If we make a mistake it doesn't mean that we are a failure. What it does mean is that we learned from our mistake and used the experience to improve our chances of success next time.

It is not necessary for you to allow every failure to define you. There will be times when you will feel like a failure because you messed up, but never let that define you. Accepting your failures will give you the strength to move forward and become successful. Every failure should be seen as a lesson that has taught you something.

Moving forward after making mistakes not only gives you the strength to succeed but can also help you avoid future mistakes. You can use your past failures to figure out how to avoid them in the future. When you learn from your failures you can apply that knowledge to your future successes. Each and every failure can be viewed as a lesson to be applied in your future endeavors.

The mistake most of us make when dealing with our past failures is we become discouraged. Instead of seeing the past as a learning opportunity we see it as a chance to make many mistakes. This can hold us back from future success. The answer to this problem is to continue to look at your past failures as a way to grow. Every failure teaches you something. If you continue to learn from your past failures, you will be better prepared to face future challenges.


Success is not getting past your failures. Success is knowing how to move forward despite all obstacles. Zig Ziglar says "If you want to achieve anything, stop trying to relive your past failures". By stopping to relive your past failures you will never be able to move forward. Make sure you don't make the same mistake.