Head First

"Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." – Helen Keller

Have you ever had a project, dream, or quest you truly wanted to pursue, but couldn't summon the necessary courage to get started? Whatever happened to it? Have you followed through, or is it still tucked away in the drawer marked "Someday"?

They say the road to someday leads to a town of nowhere. Think about it for a minute: if you had done it, would your life be better? Would you be happier and more fulfilled? If the answer is yes, then what stopped you from following through? What is still stopping you? It's fear, isn't it?

A lot has been written about fear, and I've had my share of it in previous situations. Like you, I've tried to analyze situations endlessly, rationalize them, and waited for a "more suitable time" to get started. Yet, I've come to realize that the only way to conquer fear is to face what you're afraid of, head-on. It has long been proven that logic will not change an emotion, but action will.

But what if I fail, you might ask. To that, I say: so what! The worst-case scenario is that you'll gain valuable learning to try again, more intelligently this time. The old adage "measure twice, cut once" doesn't serve well in such a fast-paced world. Instead, consider "He who hesitates loses." In fact, most world business leaders subscribe to the latter. They've even created a concept for it: "Fail Forward, Faster."

The concept of "failing forward faster" can be described as negotiating through difficulties, obstacles, and failures. The key is to progressively move forward as fast as possible, not allowing those circumstances to handicap your future prosperity and success. Effective individuals who use this concept never intentionally focus on past negative experiences and difficult times. This thinking may activate the unconscious mind's "protective mechanisms," inducing self-doubt and offering countless reasons to reconsider your ideas, intentions, or goals.

You and I know that life is not fair and that we will fail often. Yet, it's not the number of failures that determines the quality of our lives; it's the number of successes. Therefore, the more you fail forward, learn, and try again faster, the more inevitable your success becomes. By giving yourself permission to fail again and again, you'll weed out the bad ideas quickly and get to where real results occur.

If you want to change your life, you must be your very best in the darkest moments. You must be willing to take risks, step up when times are toughest, face your own negativity, and never give up. Granted, the road will get bumpy, and the ride will become rough. Get someone to help you negotiate the obstacles if you must, someone to champion you, give you feedback, and help you stay on course.

Andrew Stanton, the director of *Finding Nemo* and *WALL-E*, describes, "My strategy has always been: Be wrong as fast as we can. Which basically means, we're gonna screw up, let's just admit that. Let's not be afraid of that. But let's do it as fast as we can so we can get to the answer. You can't get to adulthood before you go through puberty. I won't get it right the first time, but I will get it wrong really soon, really quickly." You can't know what something is like, how you will feel about it, or what will result from it until you actually do it.

Below, I share a few strategies to endure hardships and foster your success:

- Keep improving and stretching every day.

- Listen to and trust your intuition; it somehow knows better.

- Keep your focus on the path; make it your compass.

- Face your demons; you can be comfortable or courageous, but not both at once.

- Be bold and outrageous; being realistic will not change anything.

- Put first things first.

- Perceive failure as only feedback; use that feedback and start over.

- Fall down seven times, get up eight.

- Make the best out of each situation.

- Ignore those who tell you that you can't make it. How would they know? They're not you.

- Take baby steps at first; increase your pace as you build more muscle and confidence.

- Try something new every day; experiment and be curious.

- Learn how to laugh at yourself and situations; never underestimate that power. It will help you overcome the destructive feeling of self-pity.

- Focus on and enjoy what you love, not what you hate.

- Help others along your path, remembering that although your paths may cross, they have their own to walk.

- Adopt the Nike and Adidas slogans: "Just do it" and "All in or nothing."

- Surround yourself with people on the same quest as you, and be quick to ask for help.

- Keep an open mind and entertain new ideas, no matter how weird they may seem at first.

- Evolve your mind; feed it daily with whatever nourishes your wisdom and drive.

My personal philosophy is: "When I die, the pallbearers will carry me to the grave feet first. Until then, I will face life the other way around, head first." What is yours?