I didn’t know how I would handle epic failure until it happened to me
Have you ever failed so unexpectedly that you didn’t know what to do next?
I sure have.
Failure happens. Sometimes though it happens in particularly epic fashion. This is how to live your dream anyway.
Architecture is a long and winding road.
I became a licensed Architect in September 2015.
It took 12 years to get there:
5-year undergrad degree
7 years of work experience
7 passed exams
I took some stumbles along the way.
In fact, I failed my very first exam.
When I found out, I was devastated.
I thought I had no business being an Architect.
How could fail the first exam?
I hadn't failed anything in my entire life!
I had done everything “right.”
I was the kid who took extra calculus courses for fun.
I was the Magna Cum Laude graduate from a top 5 architecture school
I was the designer at a high-end firm in Buffalo, NY
It didn't matter.
I studied.
I studied again.
I showed up ready.
I still failed.
I pivoted.
A day or so later, I picked myself up and signed up for the next available slot (6 months later) and the exam after that.
I wasn’t going to let something so trivial as “failure” stop me from living my dream.
I doubled down on everything.
I studied every day.
I practiced harder.
I focused.
I went on to pass all of my 7 exams over the next two years.
Failure isn’t the end.
It’s the data you need to adjust your efforts.
I’ve been living my dream for over seven years because I didn’t stop when failure got me down.
Don’t let it stop you either.
3 Steps to Bounce Back from Failure
Step 1 - Assess what went wrong
In order to take the next step, you need to understand the reason(s) why you failed. Learn from the experience. Reflect on how to do it differently.
—
Step 2 - Redirect Quickly
You already have the momentum. It may have slowed you down, but don’t let failure stop you. Get back in the game fast. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to push forward.
—
Step 3 - Go For It
Try and try again. Keep fighting. One of two things will happen: either you’ll succeed, or you’ll reach the end of the viable options. No matter what, you’ll know you gave it all you had.
—
Don’t give failure the chance to leave you with regret.
TL; DR
Failure happens.
Failure doesn’t care who you are.
Assess what went wrong.
Redirect quickly.
Go for it.
No regrets.
Quote of the Week
Motivation for the days ahead of you.
“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
— Winston Churchill
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
