Give yourself permission to fail

When it comes to failure, our bodies are against us.

Sound strange?

Let me explain.

If we do not give ourselves permission to “fail”, then any perception of failure (including any feedback not seen as “positive”) results in our Emotional Brain (Amygdala) reacts, initiating our fight/flight response.

When our Amygdala engages, we cannot hear or think – until we re-engage our brains (logical neo-cortex), and so we often don’t get the full message being delivered. It’s a good idea to ask for more detail or arrange a time to discuss once your initial reaction has resided.

REFLECTION

• When was the last time you received “negative” feedback?
• What was it?
• Did you hear the full message (are you sure)?
• How did you act/ react?
• Reflecting back on it now – was it information which could help you in future?
• How might you be able to use that experience to be more successful in future?

Giving up is the true failure – and with support, you don’t have to do it alone!