Do you have a CV of failures? As I’m sure I won’t find any missteps highlighted on your LinkedIn resume or the social media bastions showcasing toxic positivity success. I know I don’t celebrate or advertise my f’ck-ups.
We’re told to “fail fast” yet, heaven forbid! we ever own up to failing, at anything, even if endless mistakes/trials/attempts/experiments (aka failures) lead to valuable lessons/discoveries/novel outcomes/improvements etc. etc. etc.
So, I’m offering a (very) short list of my failures:
- An interview for the Ms Teen Victoria contest (a f’ck-up on so many levels – failing to listen to what I wanted (and being in a local talent/beauty contest was not one of things I aspired), failing to see that I was a competitor, failing to push off outside pressure on what I should do….which spiraled into narrowing my vision for my possibilities).
- Not making the field hockey team in 8th grade (in the absence of feedback on how to improve, I gave up the sport completely – an epic fail!)
- A written french exam in 9th grade (didn’t tell my mom which compounded the shame when my report card came out) then many many algebra quizzes in the 12th grade (though I managed a scrape out a pass – just barely – in the end! Capital P on the report card for the win!)
- Two marriages (I won’t list anything about my dating life, as it seems I fail spectacularly at intimate personal relationships!)
- Advancing in the legal profession beyond associate
- Scaling a start-up accelerator (along with the partnership which surrounded it)
Confession. While this list was difficult to start writing suddenly, it was a cathartic breeze when I got going. Try it (or do as I did, take a listen to Learning From Your Mistakes, then write your own list).
Now, back to good ???? From My Inbox:
When you tell your brain ‘I want to find something,’ it commits more cognitive energy towards finding it.
- Taking a Wonder Walk (Creating A Wow Filled Life)
- Gender equality in politics 80 years after Australia’s first female politicians elected (Women’s Agenda) – spoiler alert: 46% of elected politicians in Australia are women
- Thriving After Failing: How to Turn Your Setbacks Into Triumphs (HBR)
- These are the barriers women entrepreneurs face in SA (The Citizen)
- 600+ resources (and growing) for women entrepreneurs & investors (Yawbryd)
ICYMI…read this if you are wondering if it is OK to ignore random LinkedIn queries.
Being socially dominant, being achievement-striving and focused on improving one’s own lot in life by themselves are not all that problematic and tend to be valued by Western cultures
- What Is Narcissism? Science Confronts a Widely Misunderstood Phenomenon (Scientific American)
- The play deficit (Aeon)
- Dazzling timelapse shows how microbes spoil our food – and sometimes enrich it (Aeon) + while you’re at it, I suggest watching the Earth episode of acclaimed food writer’s Michael Pollan’s series Cooked.
+ check out this book rec, ‘cause yeah, rejection, like failure can be the best outcome.
