This year, I made a vow to live my life without fear and without regret. I decided to take more risks and say yes to myself and to new adventures. Read more in What happens when you say yes to yourself?

I’m happier, more fulfilled and I’m loving the woman I’ve become.  I’m now not as afraid to take risks but guess what happened?  Yup, I made more mistakes!

I don’t get it right ALL the time. And for someone who’s a recovering perfectionist, it’s taking a while to get used to this.

If I put so much pressure on myself to be perfect, to never make mistakes I will miss opportunities to grow. I’m learning to value my failures as much as my successes and here’s why:

  1. You learn from mistakes –  Failure is one of your best teachers. You learn what works and what doesn’t. There are some lessons that can only be gained by experiencing failures and setbacks yourself.  Analyze what went wrong and make the necessary adjustments. Failure is an opportunity for growth.
  2. Failure means you tried  –  You were courageous enough to try, so be proud of that. To get really good at something you have to try and fail a few times… so you’re on your way to success.
  3.  Failure builds character– It takes strength and determination to try again after you’ve failed. You have to dig deep inside to find it, but this is what you need to sustain you in the future. You will be a better person because you failed.
  4. Failure makes you more empathetic – It’s easy to be judgemental when you haven’t made mistakes yourself, but when you’ve messed up, you are kinder to others when they do the same. After all, we’re all human!
  5. Failure isn’t the end – At least it’s not the end unless you give up. You can choose to pick yourself up and start again.  When one door closes, another one opens. Failure can bring bigger, better opportunities into your life.

To be honest, I’m harder on myself than I am on others, so I have decided to speak to myself like I’m my own best friend and say “Kelly, brush yourself off and try again”.

You should do the same. Read more in Be Your Own Best Friend.

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Physician, Endocrinologist, Diabetes and Hormone specialist, Health and Wellness expert, Blogger and Speaker! Kelly Wood, MD is board certified in Internal Medicine as well as Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. She has many years of experience working with patients to transform and improve their health. She is passionate about teaching others about the interconnections of mind, body, and spirit; and how they can achieve health in all three areas and lead a balanced life.