Failure is something that no one wants to experience because it's never a pleasant feeling, but the truth is that, in life, we fail at one point or another. In some situations, failure might seem inevitable, but I think that what matters is not dwelling on that spot of our failure but trying to diagnose the reason for the failure, take responsibility, and then come up with different approaches from the previous one that didn't work.
I have a personal experience to share regarding this subject, but first, permit me to remind us that it's vital to understand that failure is also an opportunity for us to learn and grow. I understand that depending on the area where we failed, the feeling can be devastating and embarrassing, and we can even feel less of ourselves, and sometimes the fear of failure sets in, making one so afraid to try again. Just like me in the past, I was so afraid to try again after a failure that got me embarrassed in the presence of my patient. I told myself that it's better to end it instead of making fool of myself in such a manner. I became so scared of pursuing what I have passion for because I was afraid of failing again.
This happened some years back when I got my first job as a dental technologist. This profession has four major branches. Although one can decide to specialize in one of the branches after school, we were taught the four branches, but only two of them were practically handled very well. While practicing in the field, I faced a patient that required a particular dental appliance. It was from this branch of my profession I wasn't so good at practically, but I told myself that I should just face it.
I started constructing the dental appliance on a model. It took me two days to finish up, and on the third day, the patient was invited to come pick it up at the lab. My head of department (HOD) was present, and when I tried the appliance on the patient's oral cavity, it wasn't fitting so well. It wasn't totally bad; it's something that could be adjusted until we get a perfect fit, although an expert in this area should be able to get the work done correctly without an adjustment. You needed to see how my HOD embarrassed me in the presence of my patient. It was raw, and I felt so less of myself, and likewise, I felt like a big failure.
I felt so incompetent; however, this same HOD has complimented me on so many jobs I did for patients in the past, as it was the type I am very good at. I remember letting her know that these two areas are my strength while the other two are just my weakness, and I will love to focus on the areas I am good at, but she said that every dental technologist in her lab should be able to face all kinds of dental jobs.
After the incident that happened, I first of all accepted that I failed. I sat down to really reflect on why I failed with the job I did, and I realized that in the first place, I was never good at such a job, but it's possible to get good at it instead of limiting myself. I went and talked to a senior colleague who is so good at almost all kinds of dental practices for a thorough guide. This time, I worked on my mindset because initially, I told myself that this aspect of my profession isn't for the faint hearted, and I didn't stretch myself to learn it even when others did. I could have given up, but I had to trace why I wasn't good in that aspect and discovered that it was obviously my mindset, and when I dealt with it, I faced that same job with the guide I was receiving from a senior colleague, and I started getting better at it gradually.
It took me six months of continuous practice before I finally got it right. I won't forget the extra hours I spent in the lab even after work closure; I won't forget the stress I passed through; I won't forget spending money on it to get better because I was buying materials and paying the colleague as well. These are the practical steps I took until I got a desirable result. I must admit that during that relearning phase, growth took place in my life.
This made me realize that indeed, failure can be beneficial to oneself sometimes at it pushes one to work harder in reaching our full potential as long as you are determined not to dwell on your failures but dust yourself and keep trying—at least, this was my case and a big lesson of my life.
In conclusion, handling my failures begins with diagnosing the reasons for my failure, which could be personal or circumstances, and then involving a third party if needed while taking responsibility for the outcome. Finally, I restrategize and come up with different approaches from the previous one that didn't work. Overall, setting my mindset right while handling these failures remains relevant.
Images are mine edited in canva!!
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
