Failure is temporary

Zachary Aldwin : Milkshake in the Boardroom

Hands up if you have ever been in a fight! Think back and imagine the feeling right before the actual clash, that anticipation that something is about to happen, that being on edge. As a teenager at a boarding school we would engage in dormitory raids. These infrequent forays took place late at night and were frowned upon by the school authorities with a variety of punishments, ranging from manual labour to caning, if you got caught in the act.Raids were hastily planned and executed. Pillows were the weapon of choice and a dozen of you would sneak along quietly in your pyjamas hoping that no senior was awake on midnight patrol.

Communication was done by sign language in true commando style with whispering reserved only for dire emergencies like spotting a house-master.

Your senses were on heightened alert, the slightest sound made you twitch, in that moment you were on the edge.

In that moment you were alive.

Sixty seconds later and it was all over, your victims pulled from their beds, left beaten and dazed, while you scampered back to your room to hastily fake sleep while the euphoria of adrenaline flooded your veins.

That anticipation of action, that twitchiness is a feeling that keeps you able to react rapidly in situations. Stand on the edge of a cliff and you get the same feeling.

There is a fine line between being on edge and being afraid.

On edge you may be a little scared but you are still able to act in a state of heightened awareness. If you are afraid you are paralysed into inaction. No prizes for guessing which state you want to be in when running your business.

Deadlines, floods of emails, bills to be paid piling up, crazy appointment schedules, missed lunch breaks bring enough pressure of their own when running a business.

Add to that the current uncertainties of cash flow and liquidity and you have the perfect mix that pushes you from the edge into panic.

Times of uncertainty can promote a state of fear. Being afraid always prevents you from acting and going forward in the same way that your natural, inbuilt “fight-or-flight” mechanism can immobilise you. You cannot afford to be afraid. So in such times how do we stop being afraid.

In moments like this you need to embrace people. Not by giving them a hug, but by drawing alongside others and realising what they can do for you and what you can do for them. It is okay to ask for help in areas you are not strong. It is okay to talk to others about what is getting to you.

Paint a bigger picture for yourself by reminding yourself of what the benefit to others is if you step out. What benefit is there for your family, your staff, your clients if you act. It is a curious unselfish type of love that sees you looking beyond your immediate gratification and motivates you to action free from fear.

Correct for negative thought patterns. People who are afraid only see the negative and focus on it. People on the edge see the positive beyond the immediate threat. Take public speaking for example. I have often had to present to a group. There are butterflies in my stomach every single time I do.

Stepping out in front of a crowd carries with it a huge responsibility. You are about to convey information to a group of people who are trusting you to bring them a truth that will benefit them.

There is pressure to get your message right, there is pressure that your media and sound will all work effectively, and there is a chance that they will hate your message.

Seeing past these negatives to the positive outcomes of changed lives, while respecting the responsibility you have been given, sees you stepping out on stage, nervous but unafraid.

We are conditioned not to fail. Fear of failure stops you from taking acceptable risk. Fear of failure stops you seeking out the new. Realise that failure is temporary, that often it is fine to fail. You just have to get up and try again.

Transform the potential of failure as a challenge that keeps you on the edge. If there is no challenge then there is no edge (and you are likely to get bored really quickly).

The heightened awareness on the edge opens your mind to solutions that you may not have seen before. Focus becomes easy to achieve.

You are able to pre-empt much and this can allow you to walk through the apparent chaos as you can adapt and respond quickly.

Use it to refine your priorities. The edge is an exciting place.