I am sure that many of us can recall watching a toddler learning to walk upright. The moment when a toddler has pulled themselves up, holding on to something and then letting go of the support: wobbling, trying to find balance, cautiously taking the first step, wobbling even more and then – plonk – landing back on their bum or hands and knees. Occasionally, hurting themselves in the process. Nevertheless, the story continues and the toddler will try again and again, with a little support of a helping hand and/or piece of furniture to hold on initially, before letting go and eventually managing to take the first few steps forward.
What is it that drives this process? ‘Instinct’ most of us will say, ‘the need to walk in order to survive’. Yes, this is certainly the case. However, what stands out for me is the sheer willpower, the resilience or ‘grit’ that accompanies this process. More often than not, it is this process that functions as an anchor for me personally. What does that mean? It reminds me that I need a bit of ‘grit’ when I try something new or face a difficult time in life.
It also reminds me that ‘falling’ or ‘failing’ is an essential part of the learning process. Without it, we cannot learn anything new and therefore will not be able to grow or develop further. Yet, as adults, we tend to fear failure, which prevents us from learning and moving forward. Once the fear of failure takes hold, many end up feeling stuck, paralysed, unable to act, firmly sticking to what’s familiar and unwilling to venture outside our comfort zone.
Sure, nobody likes to make mistakes or feel embarrassed when things go wrong. In his book Innovate or Die, Jack Matson describes the concept of ‘intelligent fast failure’ as an essential part of business growth. I believe that this concept can be applied to all walks of life. Once we accept the concept, we can learn to fail ‘fast’ and – with a bit of grit – turn the experience into a valuable lesson for learning and growing, unafraid to embrace ‘trial and error’ in the process: one step at a time, until we stand up tall and walk.
Reference:
Matson, J. V. (1996) Innovate or Die. A Personal Perspective on the Art of Innovation. Royal Oak, Michigan: Paradigm Press Ltd.