Failure is more valuable than success. Yes, you heard me.  It is not a typo.  I firmly believe that our failures are invaluable tools for ultimately achieving success.   At first blush, you might not agree, but think about it.  When you have experienced failure, do you crawl in a corner and give up, or do you get up, brush yourself off, and move forward, even more determined than before to succeed? 

Many of us do just that.  We use our temporary setbacks as learning experiences, and as motivators that drive us to try repeatedly until we succeed.  We choose to see these setbacks, as nothing more than bumps in the roads, and that is what you need to do as well.

How do you go about flipping the switch and changing the way you draw energy and motivation from a failure or a setback?  Start by changing how you view failure.  Do not view it as the opposite of success, but as a step to success.  Author and lecturer Dr. Leo Buscaglia summarized this approach best when he said, “We seem to gain wisdom more readily through our failures than through our successes. We always think of failure as the antithesis of success, but it isn't. Success often lies just the other side of failure.”

Eliminate focusing on what you fail to accomplish because all that will do is feed negative thoughts and actions.  Instead, create a plan that emphasizes, and more importantly rewards, positive behavior and achievement.  Here are a few suggestions for ways to focus on the positive, handle the possible failures you may experience along the way, and celebrate the successes. 

• Celebrate by writing it down.  When you accomplish something good, whether it is small or big, take a few minutes to journal about it.  This is a great way to review your achievements, especially when you are struggling.
  
   
• Don’t always assume the worst.  When you stray from your nutrition plan or miss a workout or two, don’t jump to the conclusion that you have failed.  Accept that you will need time to build a fitness routine or create a meal plan that will fit your lifestyle. It won’t happen overnight.  Create an internal dialogue with yourself that acknowledges this fact and keeps you positively focused on moving forward.  You must continually remind yourself each day that you appreciate your efforts.  Remember to be your number one fan.
  
   
• Be aware.  When you catch yourself heading toward doing something that may potential derail you, like going out for a night of drinking with your friends or supersizing your lunch, recognize that your actual awareness of that very moment is an important step in your overall journey forward. The fact that you recognized you are "trying" not to slip up is just as an important step as appreciating when you don’t.  It is perfectly acceptable to acknowledge that it’s hard to change.  Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it will take time.  Fortunately, given time, you will grow stronger and more able to deal with situations that can throw you off your goal. 
  
   
• Set yourself up for success.  Create opportunities for doing something good, so that you can acknowledge your positive actions.  Incorporate these smaller achievements into your overall plan for success. 
  
   
• Reflect, and then move forward.  When you stumble, don't spend time agonizing over it and beating yourself up.  Determine what you could have done better, but also don’t forget to focus on what you did right, and then move forward with a plan to do even better. 

As you learn to retrain your approach to success, you will find many more opportunities to create positive behaviors and bring positive people into your life. As you also start to change the way you look at your failures, you will gain a new and more powerful outlook that will remove the stigma of guilt and shame.  Failure is not an end-all, life-defining event.  The opportunity to move forward is always there.  Believe, as I do, that great things are possible for your life and you will succeed! 

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