Snapshot
“Fall seven times, stand up eight,” a Japanese proverb says. Only when you experiment, execute and iterate will you be able to learn from your mistakes and turn your stories of failure into valuable lessons.
Lao Tzu once said that “failure is the foundation of success, and the means by which it is achieved.” This testament to the power of persistence is as old as time itself, but recently it has become more than a platitude, as various strands of social science, software development and management theory have elevated it to a guiding principle for success.
Failing quickly in order to learn fast — or what tech developers commonly call failing forward — is at the heart of many innovative businesses. The idea is to push ahead with a product as soon as possible to gather feedback and learn about opportunities and constraints so that you can take the next step.
A similar approach can sometimes work for campaigners and activist artists. Jump in. Experiment. Connect. You can sometimes only find out what you’re doing, or even what needs doing, by beginning to do it. Take failure as an opportunity to reach out and discuss challenges with new people who may offer new insight or give you access to a different network or audience.
Given limited resources and imperfect circumstances, we will fail and stumble much of the time. That’s OK. If we accept that up front, it gives us the freedom of honest self-reflection; it allows us to give the work our all. Organizing is a constant process of learning, adjusting and iterating; a constant cycle of praxis and renewal (see: PRINCIPLE: Praxis makes perfect).
It may seem like a paradox, but it is only by making mistakes that you hit on the right path; only through failure that you succeed. Do not let your failures stop you. Indeed, make them your stairway to success.