MINIMIZING THE RATE OF FAILURE 

If you knew you were 30 failures away from any goal, how fast would you want to fail?

Failure is expensive. It is unpleasant. Regardless of your strength, encountering it so many times can break you. Though the lessons you learn from failure are priceless, it is not an effective way to gain that knowledge. You don't have to walk through thorns and thistles each time you want to learn a lesson. 

Though failure is inevitable, we can fail fast and fail smart.. The following are  practical ways to minimize the rate, duration, and pain that come with failure:

1. Learned helplessness - How repeated setbacks can condition you to stop trying
2. The role of Shame - Redefine shame and use it to your advantage
3. Failing fast and forward - Don't linger in setbacks, learn fast and move on
4. Get your facts straight - Make decisions based on facts, not assumptions or hope
5. Set realistic goals - Prepare sufficiently to reduce your odds of failure
6. Strategy over hard work - Smart direction beats hustling
7. Chase Excellence, not success - Focus on mastery and value, success will follow
8. The role of Faith - Understand the true meaning of faith and use this powerful tool to your advantage

In the sections ahead, we will expand each of the points to see why we often get stuck in our failures - and how to transform it from a  “GIVE UP” signpost into a “PAUSE, LEARN, AND MOVE”  signpost.