In failure-we grow

The newest research on weight lifting is that we bring our muscles to failure. In failure, that is when we have true muscular growth.

As I was doing that this morning and pushing myself to that last awful rep, it occurred to me that 

In failure, we grow.

The metaphor was so perfect, but it’s hard to see failure as growth. 

As we head into the winter Olympics and know the extreme amount of practice these Olympians do, it is a reminder that, so many times, they took to the ice, they fell; many times they hopped on their snowboard, they took a fall. Even as Olympians, they may finish last. Which may seem like a failure to them. 

But what they did was grow from each experience, each fall, each failure.  Whatever or whoever (I hope)told them that these are moments of growth was right on.  

It’s hard to see the growth when we feel stuck in failure. 

So, how do we get out of that failure mindset?

For me, I often write down the positives and negatives of what I tried. This helps me assess the growth mindset. I’m able to look back and see what I may have done to change a few things around.  

Did I actually go to failure or just to fatigue?

This is what I am learning about myself and my weight-lifting journey: when it gets uncomfortable, I’m actually not at failure; my body just doesn’t want to go all the way. 

It’s hard work! 

But then I do. I continue on as the fear of failure isn’t so hard with practice.

Especially if I know that growth is next.