How to Learn from Failures
It’s a common belief that only those who pass with rich marks can do well in future or can only be the achievers in their endeavours, while those who fail have less hope to make feats. It is true up to a certain extent, but cannot be taken as guaranteed. When we look around the world, we find a large number of such individuals who despite being average in studies and even having failed in their examinations have made not only laudable achievements in various realms of life but also become a guiding light for intelligent and successful students who are known for standing first division in rank. And when such individuals, most of who are celebrities today but had failed as students, were asked the secret of their success, a number of them said, “I learned from my failures.” This positive sentence has played the role of powerhouse for many students who did excellently well in their efforts made either in education, business and or even in service.
See the Microsoft head Bill Gates. He is a school dropout. But he is an ocean of knowledge in computer world and needless to say the world’s highly qualified engineers are employees in his company. The English literary legend Shakespeare could not do graduation and that’s why he was looked down upon by his contemporary Marlow and others pursuing graduation at Oxbridge. But today Shakespeare is being studied in post-graduation courses and many have written their PhD theses on him. One of the best-selling authors, Shiv Khera, who is recognized as a management guru for students as well as management professionals, had once failed in his school final examination. How such failed and average students could become highly successful in their lives will become clear by understanding and adopting the tips given below:
Don’t lose your heart on failures
If you happened to fail in your examination, first of all don’t lose your heart. It is a common phenomenon that some of your classmates, companions, and relatives may express their sadness over it and tell you the words of consolation and sympathy, but there may be such people also who can mock at you. Even your parents can rebuke you. But you need not get discouraged by such remarks. You need to stand like an iron pillar at such juncture. You need not bother about the loss of one year and all these comments. Rather be firmly determined to prove your inner worth by hard work and give rejoinder to your mockers.
Find out the reasons behind your failure
There could be one or more reasons behind your failure. It is none other than you who have to find out where you had been lagging behind, which crucial things you missed; which were the weaknesses or indulgences that made you failed and so on. Suppose if you realized that you had paid less attention to your studies and instead, indulged in watching movies, playing sports excessively and enjoying entertainments most of the times. No worry, better next time you devote yourself to your studies with your full spirit. Pay more attention to the subjects in which you are weak. Work hard as much as you can, ignoring all those alluring activities that had kept you deviated from focusing on studies. And then next year, you will see the charisma by passing your exams with rich marks.
Mend your ways accordingly
If you are walking on the road, and a banana skin comes under your foot causing you fall down. It’s also a failure because you failed to see what is ahead of you or what is on the ground before your step. First try to know what made you fall down and second thing is why it happened. The answers are quite simple: you slipped by banana skin and it happened because you did not care to see ahead on the road while walking. So, what you’ve realized that you must see the road ahead while walking. Thus, you learned from your failure.
Similarly, if your failure in exams is kept in this perspective, you realize where you had lagged, missed, or indulged that brought failure to you or became the reason behind scoring poor marks. So better you mend your ways and concentrate on your studies seriously. Here, seriously doesn’t mean that you will not relax at all. After your hectic schedule of study, you must take at least a short break. It will keep you recharged to study well.
Always have “I can do” attitude
If you think or say, “I can do,” it means somewhere you have the requisite potential, although it may be latent in you, which has let you think or claim so. And unfortunately, if you do not have “I can do” attitude then you must develop it and interpret it practically. It means you will prove it true by your unflinching confidence, courage and spirit to work hard while facing any difficulty coming in your way. Oddities may discourage you from moving ahead in your mission, but don’t bother about them and keep moving on to your destination. That means keep working hard to qualify your exams.
Focus on your textbook
Today, there are various sources of studies that start from your hands per se. If you have mobile phone with net connection, the world comes to your mobile screen through Google search or other search websites. Several study materials are available on Wikipedia and other portals. Nevertheless, your textbook is most important for you to qualify your exams with appreciable scores. Your textbook has all what you need to answer in your examination hall. So, you must pay more attention to your textbook rather than other study materials made available from other sources.
Make the best use of facilities, if provided
If your school or parents are providing facilities that you need and that help you in your studies, you must avail them to the best of your suitability. Suppose, if your school has started computer classes, smart classes, STEM education, tinkering with tools and so forth, you snap up all these things instantly.
Here, the point to keep in mind is that failure teaches us how to make success. So, if you happened to fail in your efforts in any sphere of life apart from your educational pursuits, you need not worry at all. Only thing is just try to know why and how you failed. When you recall the reasons, you start working on them vigorously. And then, next time you can surprise everyone around you by scoring rich marks.