Tag Archive for learning

Are You Failing Forward?

May 22, 2012 Eric Deschamps One comment


Have you ever made serious mistakes in your life and business that cost you dearly? Have those mistakes ever left you feeling defeated and discouraged? Consider the following insurance claim filed by an injured bricklayer.

“Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to your request for additional information. In block number three of the accident reporting form, I put “poor planning” as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a six-story building. When I completed my work, I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them down in a barrel by using a pulley, which, fortunately, was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of brick.

You will note in block number eleven of the accident reporting form that I weigh 175 pounds. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded upward at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains the fractured skull and broken collarbone.

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time I regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain.

At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Without the weight of the bricks, the barrel now weighed approximately 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight of 175 pounds in block number eleven. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations on my legs and lower body. The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the piles of brick, and fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked.

I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to stand, and watching the barrel six stories above me, I again lost the presence of mind AND I LET GO OF THE ROPE!”

The only true failure is the failure to learn from your mistakes! Like the bricklayer in our story, many people keep making mistakes over and over again because they fail to learn from their errors and adapt accordingly. This holds them back from reaching their full potential.

Successful people know that the pathway to success is often littered with failures and setbacks. But unlike the average person who gives up prematurely, successful people know how to turn adversities into advantages, problems into potential, and failures into feedback. This is called failing forward.

Too many people allow failure to DEFINE them rather than REFINE them. Failure is a moment in time, not a state of being. It is an opportunity to learn and grow and try again. It is a teacher and mentor, if we accept its help. It’s one thing to say, “I failed” and another thing altogether to say, “I am a failure.”

Many people have tried and failed. The only difference between losers and winners is that losers stop trying. They give in to defeat, and accept a passing setback to define them as a person. Successful people don’t allow their HISTORY to keep them from fulfilling their DESTINY.

The lessons that you learn from failure must not be forgotten or dismissed. The experience you gain will be invaluable to you in the future. That’s why failure should not be feared. It can play a crucial role in your success story, if embraced in the right spirit.

Remember, the worst failure is failure to try. Don’t let yesterday’s FAILURE bankrupt tomorrow’s EFFORTS. Theodore Roosevelt praised the man who…

“…if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly!”

Consider your latest setback. What important lessons can you draw from it that can help you do better next time? You won’t get it right every time, but “failing forward” can help you get maximum traction out of every failure in your personal and professional life.

 

Eric Deschamps, Business Coach – Ottawa

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Knowledge is power… Or is it?

July 4, 2011 Eric Deschamps No comments

 

 

Action is the real measure of intelligence. ~ Napoleon Hill

Few people are aware that it was Sir Francis Bacon who coined the Latin phrase “scientia potentia est,” which literally translates into “for also knowledge itself is power.” In time the phrase was abbreviated to the shorter version we are familiar with today: “knowledge is power.” Used widely to promote a lifestyle of ongoing education and personal growth, the phrase has earned a prominent place in our modern vernacular. But how accurate is that statement? Does knowledge really equal power?

To be fair, Sir Francis lived in an era where information was scarce. The vast majority of people were uneducated and poor. They didn’t have access to books and higher learning. These were reserved for the rich and elite. In this context, “knowledge is power” made perfect sense. Those with the knowledge had all the wealth, the influence and the power.

However, things are much different today. We live in the golden age of media. The Internet (otherwise known as the information super-highway), and social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) have revolutionized the way we gain information. Knowledge is readily available for anyone who desires it. Today, knowledge is readily available to most people in developed countries. What was once the realm of the elite is now shared by the masses. In this age, you don’t have to be listed in Who’s Who to know what’s what.

Knowledge + Action = Power

Knowledge + Action = Power

Now if knowledge alone translated into power instantly, we would all be superheroes! In a matter of no time at all, we would be great and powerful. Teachers and educators would be the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet. But we all know this is not the case.

What is the missing link? What is that crucial step that transforms knowledge into power? The answer is quite simple: ACTION!

It’s what you do with the knowledge you acquire that defines your power. If you don’t convert knowledge into action, it will remain a source of untapped energy. Imagine sitting in your car at a gas station, and your tank is empty. The solution to your dilemma is within your grasp. All you have to do is fill up, and you can be on your way again. But until you actually get out of the car and take action, that fuel will be of no use to you whatsoever, even though it is readily available. As such, it remains untapped.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Without deliberate action – fueled by enthusiasm and passion – nothing of great significance has ever been accomplished. So with all due respect to Sir Francis Bacon, the new maxim should read “knowledge plus action equals power.”

Many business owners believe that the latest business book or seminar is the missing link to their success. They convince themselves that they simply need to gain enough information – the right information – to succeed. Learning is important. That can’t be understated. But the reality is all the knowledge and information in the world, without action, cannot help you gain what you seek.

The key to business success is no ancient mystery hidden from the masses, available only to the elite few. Focusing on key business fundamentals, along with the support and encouragement to implement them systematically in your business, will lead to increased profits and a brighter future.

Ask yourself the following questions. What key principle or fundamental am I working to implement in my business right now? What am I taking action on today? Instead of attending another seminar, or buying another business book, perhaps consider taking action on the knowledge you already possess.

Let me close this post with the following quote from motivational speaker Tony Robbins:

“You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.”

In your business, keep learning. But remember: action is where the money meets the road!

Eric Deschamps – Business Coach, Ottawa

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