Failure as a lesson

Today, I would like to talk about a book which really inspired me. Its called “Adapt : Why Success starts with Failure” written by Tim Harford. Its inspiring because of the relevant examples that he shares as an economist. It also made me relate it to my life both personal and professional.

1 Be willing to Fail : Here Tim gives the example of how google encourages employees to spend half an hour every week to do something that they are interested in. This has resulted in AdSence , Google Labs etc. He believes that when you keep failing you learn from your mistakes and that is what helps you gain success in the long run.

2 Be willing to fail a lot : Here Tim gives the example of the US Military and how they were strategizing on how to capture Iraq. But since the instructions were given by people who are not present physically in the battle field all the strategies failed. Later the seniors in the uniform decided to take the lead and take steps based on the situation at the ground. This led them to victory. Thus failing constantly is what made the seniors think innovative and creative ideas of attack.

3 Fix it early : Once you know what are your failures we need to fix them at the earliest. Here Tim gives the example of a Broadway show where the producer actually realized that there were some mistakes and completely changed the show before it went on air based on feedback she had received. This ensured the show was a complete success and everyone who saw the show appreciated it. So the key is that you must be quick in identifying your mistakes and fix it soon.

I really relate to this book and the examples share by Tim both in my personal as well as professional life. Life is not a bed of roses, but what is important is having a positive attitude and rising up from failure. I have done this and experienced success hence I recommend everyone to try this at least once in their life.