How to Overcome Failure in Your Teens

Entering Adulthood, a turbulent journey filled with many highs and lows, relationships, and inevitability which failure surely follows. Failure is daunting, for me as a late teen myself I failed a lot over my time in high-school. From sports, to relationships, to clubs, to education. In this blog post I intend to turn your setbacks into opportunities for personal development + resilience while I provide a how to guide to Overcome Failure in your late teens.

Normalize Failure

Failure is never the end all be all to your character. You are not judged by how awfully you messed up, how deviated you were from a path, or some wrong decision which goes to haunt you indefinitely. These moments are not who you are nor is it who you’ll be. These are not reflections of your worth or character.

Famous People failed too: Micheal Jordan, the 6-time NBA champion, 5 time MVP, was cut from his high-school team and has missed more than 9,000 shots in his career.

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, was fired by the very company he created when he was thirty. When he co-founded another company he came back to Apple. Pioneering the first Iphone.

In 1919, Walt Disney was fired from his first animation job, the reason being: he “lacked imagination”. A couple years later, he created Mickey Mouse.

Learn From Mistakes and Failures

Mistakes happen, we fail and fail, however reflection and learning combats these mistakes. I encourage you to analyze what went wrong, how you can learn from this experience, and how you could improve in the future

During my first day as a certified nurse assistant, I was to assist a person in the shower. He was on oxygen, though at the time my naivety glanced over that fact. I took him to the shower making sure that he was washed thoroughly and cleanly. He told me while I was putting soap to his body, “where is my oxygen?”. What that story tells you is that even in the pursuit of doing things which are helpful to other people. In my case making sure a person who couldn’t was himself is washed, I still made a mistake. I had forgotten to get his oxygen. I was ashamed, but I learned from it.

The next time that I washed him, I did not forget to get his oxygen tank: Learning is equally failing as it is succeeding. Failing is the ability to see how to succeed. Learn how to not chase success, but to chase failure. Likewise, if I never learned from my past experiences the person I would take care of would not get the proper care they deserve.

Cultivate Resilence

There are many times where failure affects you. In the meantime we must make sure we have safeties in place such as self-compassion, developing growth mindsets, and seeking support from friends and family. For me I preach the growth mindset. However, if implemented, any of these mental defenses could prove fruitful in banishing the evil thoughts of failure.

Growth Mindset, it’s a belief that through dedication and hard work, you can get better and stronger at something. Rather than viewing failure as a setback, use it as an opportunity instead for learning and development. No matter what age you are you will fail, and that is ok. Remember, don’t see failure as a blockage to your innate abilities, but as a way to further your future. Learn to navigate failures with upmost resilience. Growth mindsets allow anybody to turn setbacks into opportunities!

Set Realistic Goals

Goals are very important, it is the eternal fuel we have for our endeavors. Goals are one of the most important tools we have in our arsenal against failure.

While it’s important to dream big and aspire to greatness, setting goals that are unrealistic can set you up for disappointment and frustration. Realistic goals are those that are achievable within a reasonable time frame and align with your current capabilities, resources, and circumstances. By setting realistic goals, you set yourself up for success and create a road-map for progress. Realistic goals could be as simple as making your bed, or making sure you drink enough water during the day.

Breaking larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks can also make them feel more attainable and help you stay motivated along the way. Remember, achieving success is often a marathon, not a sprint, setting realistic goals allows you to pace yourself and celebrate incremental progress. By setting realistic goals, you can approach challenges with confidence and resilience, knowing that you’re setting yourself up for success. Your past self would thank you plenty.

Embrace Change and Adaptability

Embracing change and adaptability is a crucial skill for navigating failure in your late teens. Life is full of unexpected twists and turns, and learning how to adapt to new circumstances is essential for resilience and growth. Rather than resisting change, embrace it as an opportunity for personal development and exploration.

Cultivating adaptability means being flexible in your approach to challenges, open to new ideas, and willing to step outside of your comfort zone. By embracing change, you can turn setbacks into opportunities for learning and growth, discovering new strengths and abilities along the way. Remember, the ability to adapt to change is not only a valuable life skill but also a powerful tool for overcoming obstacles and achieving success in the face of failures.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, navigating failure in your late teens can be a challenging but ultimately rewarding journey. By normalizing failure, learning from mistakes, cultivating resilience, setting realistic goals, embracing change, and focusing on personal growth, you can turn setbacks into stepping stones toward success. Remember that failure is not a reflection of your worth or abilities but rather an opportunity for learning and growth. Embrace the challenges that come your way, and approach them with resilience, optimism, and a growth mindset. With determination and perseverance, you can overcome obstacles, achieve your goals, and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before. So, embrace failure as a part of the journey, and let it propel you toward a brighter and more fulfilling future.

My closing remarks are, you are more special than you know, whatever you do, do not throw it away. We only live once. Mental health is something which many of us neglect. Do not become the next forgotten story of people who have thrown away their life. Here is a link to helpful resources which can help when you need it, if you don’t think you need it, you may still choose to view what they have to offer. It is never to late for help. Just remember, you are not a failure, you are loved. You have always been loved, you just need to open your eyes.

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