There is so much that goes into parenting and what we teach our children. However, something that is often overlooked is the importance of being able to fail forward. Failure is inevitable; however, it is also what teaches us to get better at whatever we are doing. As adults and kids, we can learn from experiences that did not start or end well.

Is there such a thing as being perfect? No………not at all……and in fact “perfection” is so subjective. If you really think about it who is the judge of what perfect is? I strongly believe it is tough to say what is perfect unless you are talking medical science. Even in medical science there are decisions made every day that could besubjective. However, I am hardly a doctor so it is best for me to stop right there.

Failing forward is prevalent in Silicon Valley and in fact failure is celebrated. Failure propels many entrepreneurs forward. You hear all the time about someone who started tons of companies and eventually they get the recipe right. How do they do it and what is the secret sauce? Well, I can’t base my answer on facts, but I can share what I think:

1. Never give up
2. Always believe in yourself even when or after you have failed
3. When the momentum is strong don’t saddle back, but work harder…..faster……and smarter
4. Don’t let those that don’t believe in you affect your end goal
5. Know when and how to pivot
6. Encourage and embrace anyone who supports your craziness 7. Ignore monetary reward and focus on your goals to get you to the finish line

Lastly, when you have failed be sure to take that experience to build intellectual capital and a new approach for your next time at bat. You can always succeed by never giving up.. Success comes in many flavors, but the only way to get there is constantly be moving forward and to define what success means to you. It’s not always money guys…..and in fact I hope your mission is even bigger than monetary reward. If money is your end goal than do you have depth that exists outside of your big house and fancy car? To each his or her own, however it is fantastic to see people like Bill Gates and others take their success and help the world. They simply knew they had a deeper purpose and today they are in fact acting on it. That is the success one gets from failing forward.

Please note: That any suggestions are based on personal experiences and knowledge garnered from self-education. Neither Menofvalue.com or Brad Weisman offer any guarantees or are responsible for the consequences for any advice taken.