Fail Fast, Fail Often

How Losing can help you Win !!!

fm Mimosa Lotus.com 06 Mar 14 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz

I just finished this great book, Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win by Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz. It’s a fantastic read for anyone who wants to be more successful, but it’s especially magical for perfectionists, control freaks & play-to-win types like myself. The main principles are about how happy & successful people spend less time planning & more time acting. I’m not saying you shouldn’t read the book, but if time is short, here are a few of the biggest gems that I walked away with:

1. Think Big, Act Small

The Problem – We all have a ton of ideas and most of the time, we want to do them in the worst possible way. As kids, we were taught to go for the big win and even as adults. We still think the same way. But with going for the big win, we often give up, before we even really get started. “They are often so daunting that they stop people in their tracks and discourage them taking actions that would lead to real change.”

Solution – Focus on small actions that we can take today. Chunk things down into manageable tasks to avoid that over-whelmed feeling. The small wins will add up to a the big win

2. Don’t Wait to Start:

The Problem – I love researching. I love thinking about every facet of an idea. Unfortunately, this can lead to “analysis paralysis.” Over-thinking to the point of not taking any action at all or talking yourself out of your idea before you begin is a sure path to failure. When you got enough information – go for it !!!

Solution – Shrink the decisions down into smaller things that you can act upon NOW. Think you want to be a screenwriter? Try writing a short story before you tackle a full novel. Want to create a Website for yourself? Yes, there is probably a perfect version that you can work towards down the road, but there are many, many easy ways to get something together that will look great in just a few weeks. Once you have the basics, you can work from there and continue to refine what you have.

3. Do-It Today:

The Problem – Life is incredibly busy and there are always a lot of things that fill up the time. Often, I end up putting off meaningful & engaging projects that I am truly motivated about – and instead – spend my time on my To-Do list of errands and the never-ending game of responding to Emails. Putting the big stuff off until some perfect time in the future means, you will probably never get to it.

Solution – If you really want to make things happen, you need to spend time every day on your most important projects. Real meaningful time, even if it’s just a few minutes. Create a list of what you want to dive into and actually schedule a block each day. [ Ideally, it’s best to do it at the same time, so it becomes a habit ] No matter what comes up, make sure you always keep that time to complete all of those amazing items that are important to you. Not only will you start to make headway on your projects, but also you will quickly find that it’s an easy way to feel happier, more creative & inspired everyday. so Go for it !!!

Comments: What has been your experience Failing & bouncing back?