Failure Is Not An Option

As everyone's aware (hopefully) we have entered a new year.Amongst other happenings, this is significant because it becomes a time for many people to set out on the road to the rest of their life with a fresh start.  Many people mark this renewal by making resolutions, a list of hopes/dreams/aspirations/goals that they plan to accomplish in the next year.

I have often been counted among these people.  While I've never really taken it too seriously and often can't recall on December 31 what I had resolved to by then on January 1, I've still fulfilled my duty as a festive new year celebrator by making the list anyway.

But not anymore.

I will not be making any resolutions this year whatsoever.

Though I can't remember what they all were, I am confident in saying that for at least the past three years I have completely failed at every single of my new year resolutions. That's right.  Every.  Single.  One.  No one's going to be drafting me for their fantasy new year resolution league.  I suck at it.

I was coming to this realization recently as I was considering what resolutions I might make for this next year.  I didn't really get down on myself about it (after all, what good does that do), but I did find myself wishing that more people talked about their own failures.

You see, just in case you didn't know it, I fail.  A lot.  Way more often than I care to admit or am comfortable talking about.  I blow it.  I mess up.  I fall short.  I make mistakes.  I'm wrong.  I misunderstand.  I even... sin.

And the thing is.  So do you.

But that's no big news flash.  We all do, of course.

However, there are people out there, experts, who seem to have it all together and even tell people how to be as awesome as they are.  Yet, they never want to talk about their failures.  And when those failures do happen to become unearthed by some inconvenient news source, these people all of a sudden want to decry the invasion of their privacy and seek to have the whole thing expunged from their public record.

We love to have our accomplishments lauded publicly, but we all want to pretend we have the illusion of being perfect and never failing even though we know that's not true.

Failure is not an option.

Failure is fact.

Failure is the norm.

This past year was a big time of change for me.  Personally.  Professionally.  Spiritually.  If there's anything that I want to see happen this next year, it's just this: I want to be different on December 31 than I am on January 1.  Different for the better, of course.

There's some things that I can name specifically that I'd like to be different.  So, why not make them a resolution, then?  After all, what's the harm?

There's not any.  But the reason I want resolve to change these things or let you guys know about them is simply because of failure.  More specifically, fear of failure.

If I'm honest, I'm often paralyzed by it.

And I have a feeling you are too.

So, why don't try to give ourselves and each other a little room to fail? Why don't we offer ourselves and each other a little more grace than usual, some encouragement even, to go for it, regardless of risk?  Why don't we commit to be there and celebrate all the accomplishments with the full extent of all of our party-throwing prowess but also to Pick each other up and let ourselves be supported after the failures?

Won't you join me?