Blog

The Art of Failing: How to Succeed Thereafter

By: Phillip Mattie

I’ve currently been on a YouTube binge of a show called “Extreme Weight Loss.” It’s a show where participants often lose 50% of their original body weight to pull their lives back from obesity. And I had a moment of clarity while watching the show and learn how to succeed after failure. You see, the show is more about reaching goals than about setting them and this you can laern when join online tutoring.

There are, however, participants on the show that often fail to reach a goal weight, and in my moment of clarity. I realized that a million things stand in the way of them and their goals.

But the best, most inspiring participants on the show share one thing in common: They find a way “how to succeed” even after failing. That’s right, they pull themselves out of the muck and keep on moving forward.

So in the spirit of the show, I’d like to apply some of the philosophies that can be seen on it to your schooling. Knowing that last month I gave you a challenge of reaching lofty goals. I understand that sometimes life hits you and you’ll falter, and like those participants on the show, you’ll need to find a way to push through.

So, here’s how you can pick yourself back.

Understand Why You Failed and Know How to Succeed

The question “Why did I fail?” should be among the first questions you ask yourself when you falter.

Maybe your goal was 80% on last week’s math test and you only got 65%. So what happened? Often, your surroundings are representative of your results. So you’ll need to look at what your surroundings were like during the period where you fell off the wagon to really understand what happened. So what is your environment like?

Is your desk filled with snacks and pop cans, or is paper dishevelled in a heap? Was your younger brother taking up too much of your time, or were my friends? And how are these people affecting your education? Your surroundings are a large part of your success, so you want to make sure that your environment reflects what you want to do.

For you, an A+ student, your surroundings should not include an X Box One or a Playstation 4 or anything even remotely like that. If it does, you need to take a hard look at with who you spend your time and how and need to join online tutoring.

Next, consider your ethics. Did you really work as hard as you should have, or needed to? I know that your work ethic is touchy grounds; everybody thinks they work hard, and more often than not, people do. But was it hard enough? Did you do enough to earn that grade?

I had a friend who aced every math test with minimal effort whereas I had to grind out every exam and put in the hard hours. But that’s reality, that’s what some people have to deal with. So, embrace it. Make it a part of your identity.

It will make you stronger, and your sense of achievement will be greater when you finally reach that goal. So ask yourself, “Did I really work as hard as I could have?” and give yourself the most honest answer you can. Also, you can take help of our tutors to know where you lack and how to get success.

Make Some Changes  

Shake things up. I mean, why not, right? Spending the time and effort into striving for a goal and then not reaching it can sting. So, I highly recommend making some changes, especially now, when it’s February, early enough to recover from a bad grade or two.

There are a couple things that you should look to tweak, but the absolute first order on the menu is your workspace, aka your environment. Make sure that it’s private, away from brothers and sisters and prying eyes that might otherwise take your attention away from where it needs to be—on your work.

Set something up in your room, make it comfortable, and put everything you need there: Pens, pencils, paper, text books, the works. Keep food and games away from this area; you are at your station to work, not snack.

But coffee is ok. Coffee is always ok. One final thing, here: Fill this workstation with things you are interested in. Me? I have books. Piles and piles of fiction and fantasy stacked in leaning towers.

These books are literally dreams people have put on paper, and they inspire me to write and to work for my goals. So, put up some posters of math equations and quotes from your heroes.

The second thing you should consider changing is your work ethic. I’m not saying you didn’t work hard, but you’re going to have to work harder. Fortunately, there’s one very simple thing you can do to achieve this: Join a study group.

Benefits of Joining a Study Group are Two-Fold: Join Online Tutoring

The first benefit is that your study time immediately got more effective. You are able to ask questions and receive answers immediately via your group mates. And, you can even help out answering someone else’s question. The best way to learn is to teach!

The next benefit of joining a study group is the fact you are surrounded by like-minded peers who have the same goals you do. Surrounding yourself with people who have the same goals will help in a way that studying alone can’t. So I highly recommend a hard look at your work ethic.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned while watching “Extreme Weight Loss,” it’s that you should be proud of who you are. You are limited only by what you think you can do, not what you can actually do. If you fail to reach a goal, try to understand why. Diagnose yourself.

Next, give yourself the cure and learn from the above how to succeed. Make some changes by either revamping your workspace and environment or by joining a study group and doubling your effort.

It’s not too early to change, so get out of your comfort zone, join online tutoring and push yourself a little more than you’re used to!