Turn ‘Failure’ into Success: Do a Failure Analysis!

'The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure.' Chinese Proverb

Michael Jordan once said that his reason for success lies behind his many futile attempts at success, what can be termed as ‘failure’. Theodore Roosevelt states that although it is hard to fail, it is worse if you have never tried to succeed. 

If you browse 'Success Quotes' on Google you will find ample key quotations like these from well-known inspirational entities...but the question remains, What do you really do when you feel that you have ‘failed’?

The answer should really be quite simple, which entails you to assess the situation.

Muovo has found the following article by Cici Mattiuzzi in The Serious Job Seeker Blog an interesting read. In this article, Mattiuzzi writes about the need for a failure analysis if you feel that you are still struggling with your career or your job search.

Sometimes, people tend to keep on repeating the same mistakes, blaming perhaps the economic situation they are in, or the recession, without taking a closer look at what they are really doing (or not). 

Recessions, says Mattiuzzi, teach us several things. These include important survival skills, namely, frugality, self-sufficiency, saving, resilience, creativity, and most importantly – a reassessment of what is really important in life. Many people have found different paths to their life purpose during the recession. They started choosing majors more carefully, started graduating from schools, stayed in school longer, found internships, volunteered, reconnected with family and friends, and generally found meaning wherever possible. 

Several people stayed longer in jobs that are not completely satisfying but provided a paycheck.

It is now time for a complete failure analysis. Mattiuzzi starts by asking the following questions: What are you doing to thwart your success?What can you do to change the direction of your life path to a more satisfying one? What are the action steps you need to take to improve your life?

Go positive. 
• Make a list of all that you have accomplished over the past three years. What are you proud of? What are you thankful for?
• Stop thinking about what could have been. Think about what you are going to make happen now. What are you passionate about? Write it down!

Get organized. 
• List your goals and set priorities - What do you want to accomplish over the next 6 months? What do you want to accomplish over the next 3-5 years? Select your most important goals and develop a plan.
• Make a daily “to do” list and work on the most productive tasks – the ones that will yield the highest returns.

Get connected.
• Join a social network like Linkedin and connect with other professionals in your field.
• Join professional organizations and attend conferences and workshops where you will connect with other people with your same passion.
• Network with professionals. Do 5 informational interviews every week. You will find you know more people than you think. Hang around employed people and you are going to know who is hiring.
• Use Google’s job search engine daily to find jobs.

Get moving!
• Nothing worth doing is ever easy. Don’t let that stop you. Never stop trying.
• Get help from a professional. Find a career coach.
• Take a career planning workshop or career planning class.

Make your best to turn your ‘failures’ into successes! Impossible is nothing.

Would you like to share an experience with us? Muovo would be glad to hear from you!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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