Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently

Winston Churchill

It’s the time of year when we should reflect on our goals for the year and create new ones for the next year but for me, it’s easy. I’m not sure I actually created any goals or if I did, I can’t find them written anywhere. I wanted to write this post as it’s been in my head for the last week and I need to get it out in the open so I can move on and hopefully reach out to those in a similar position.

The word failure is a strong term and I haven’t technically failed, I just haven’t progressed much. I think a more appropriate word is complacent, something which is dangerous unless you identify it and nip it in the bud. If you don’t, you’ll see everything else in life move on while you’re standing still. Once you become aware of it though and deciding you want to change, positive things start to happen almost straight away if you open your eyes and mind to it.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been many positives throughout the year but I’m not aware of having fully set myself a challenge that was meaningful enough to stick to. I’d achieved so much in 2015 in terms of personal development with my studies with Faster and I was looking forward to this year to be the springboard to greater success but it didn’t quite happen. I would like to apologise to John Hardy and my fellow trainers from Faster who have all achieved so much but I haven’t done enough to match your efforts.

The reason? The fear of not being good enough and settling for what feels comfortable. I had somehow allowed some negative thoughts and beliefs to creep in and stop me from doing things that could’ve made a massive difference. In fitness, as well as in other industries and general life, it’s easy to compare yourself to others and think you’re not as good or consider yourself an expert and it’s taken me some time to realise that I’m not trying to compete with others but to be the best I can be for me in order to be able to inspire others. I have no idea where all that has come from and it’s curious that I’ve been demonstrating the same negative beliefs as many of my clients do, even though I’ve been able to coach them away from that.

I came across this article last week about America Ferrera and that really resonated with me. I quickly got changed and went for a run to try and figure it all out, where these behaviours had come from, why things had happened and what needs to happen next. By the time I finished the run, I felt like a weight had lifted from my shoulders and things were beginning to position themselves in a positive way. I find I become more inspired by people around me who I can identify with than with famous people and between reading blog posts by Alasdair McGill, a social media post by Chloe Forbes-Kindlen, and being nominated as member of the month on the online UKRunChat community, my goals and beliefs have changed and now I’m much more excited about what 2017 will bring.

The more I’ve got into writing this post, the better I am feeling for having expressed my thoughts and the more I am ready to tackle the adventures ahead.

Have you ever felt like this? How have you managed to deal with this mindset, if at all? Do you currently feel like this? Share your thoughts and hopefully you can turn things around like I am doing.

Just because some things haven’t quite worked out the way you planned doesn’t mean you’ve failed, let it become the inspiration to try again and do things better.