Lesson 3: We fall, we learn, we get back up again

“Lessons I’ve learnt in business, running a business and working with other businesses in 2021.”

Everyone is so scared of failing. What if this happens…what if that happens…what if I run out of jaffa cakes when writing a newsletter series? What if no-one reads this, what if no-one laughs.

The fear of failure can paralyse us. It can stop us from moving forward because things might not go to plan, they might not work out, it might all go a bit wrong.

 And lordy, mclordy, it really does go wrong but I am a massive believer that we need to high five our f*ck ups. They teach us stuff. They teach us more stuff than when stuff goes all swimmingly.

 They provide us with feedback and lessons and they gift us resilience – one of the best skills we can all develop in this thing called life.

 I have a long list of f*ck ups that I am now learning to celebrate because they mainly taught me about me; about what I want, about the person I want to be and who I want to do it with and, crucially, what I can actually achieve.

 Last January I confidently told my business coach that I could absolutely build my corporate training programmes alongside building and developing my online courses for small business owners and it would all be launched by March 2021.

 Cue tumbleweed – and my courses will launch in December 2021 (probably). I learnt that I really can’t magic any more hours in the day and I learnt that when things happen in your family life you really have to prioritise shit and quickly.

 I’ve also learnt to do my research – I invested in two companies earlier this year to help build my online courses, I didn’t do my homework and they didn’t deliver on brief. I dived in too quickly and didn’t spend as much time as I should considering what I needed from my partner businesses. I lost money, they lost (my) business, I stumbled but I got back up again knowing what support I really needed. I learnt to take a breath, to be more considered.

 The key when we stumble is to right ourselves, and crack the feck on.

 So when you stumble, when the fear of failure starts to paralyse; know that all you have to do is get back up again (and do it slowly; maybe while eating a full Panettone to yourself).

 And spend a bit of time looking at what lessons your stumbles have taught you – and how you do things differently, do things better because you stumbled.