The Importance of Failing Forward

I love noticing examples of synchronicity my life -- those small, deeply meaningful coincidences that occur in our lives and seem somehow mysteriously connected.

I believe that such occurrences have the power to highlight deeper meanings and messages... Like when 3 random people mention the exact same book for no reason, or when you keep seeing the same number and then meet someone new whose phone number repeats that exact number.

Perhaps messages from the Universe? :)

Most recently, the notion of mistakes - and more specifically, learning from mistakes - has been presented to me multiple times and in many different circumstances. It's gotten me thinking about the relationship between making mistakes, taking chances, and maximizing potential.

Can we be the leaders we want to be if we aren't deliberate about making and learning from mistakes?

So this week, I'm sharing some of the articles and resources I've unearthed as part of my deep dive into mistakes. I hope they will help you find ways to "fail forward" in your own life.

• What is a Mistake? This article argues that our anxiety about making mistakes is rooted in the paradigm of "being" as opposed to becoming. Within this paradigm, the whole notion of a "mistake" is a byproduct of seeing ourselves as fixed and static, not as flowing and changing. By contrast, in the flow of becoming, we are no longer mired in the hardship of insecurity or the notions of mistakes.
• How to Fail Forward: Mistakes can be incredibly valuable—provided we systematically capture their lessons. This article is about how to increase the return on failure:
• Learning from mistakes is not so simple...This author argues that the idea of learning from failure requires context-specific strategies.

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A bit about me: I'm an organizational design and social impact strategist supporting mission-driven leaders across the country in launching and scaling high-impact nonprofits. My Next Level Nonprofit Accelerator helps leaders of 6-figure nonprofits grow their board, staff, and budget with more confidence and less overwhelm.