3 Strategies to Learn from Failure

George Encinias
Mar 21, 2025
3 min read

"Failure is a detour, not a dead end street"! - Zig Ziglar

Walt Disney once said, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all the troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

If you’re anything like me, life has kicked you in the teeth more than once! But let’s be honest—at the moment, it rarely feels like the best thing that ever happened to us.

The truth is, failure isn’t just an occasional detour—it’s part of the journey to success. Studies show that to be truly successful, you must fail at least 16% of the time. That means if you’re never failing, you’re probably not pushing yourself hard enough!

Therefore, if failure is inevitable, the crucial question becomes: How can we embrace failure effectively?

✅ 1. Embrace Failure as Growth

Every failure contains a lesson—if we’re willing to learn it. Thomas Edison is the perfect example. When asked how he felt about failing 1,000 times while inventing the lightbulb, he responded:

👉 “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

That’s the mindset shift we need! Instead of seeing failure as defeat, start seeing it as a step forward.

Next time you fail, ask yourself:

What can I learn from this?
Who can I learn from?
What can I do differently next time?

The greatest leaders, athletes, and innovators don’t avoid failure—they embrace it as part of the process.

"Peter didn't fail, he was practicing his water walking skills" - Pastor G

✅ 2. Redefine Failure

The way we define failure determines how we respond to it. Have you ever thought that maybe you didn’t fail—you just didn’t meet an expectation (yours or someone else’s)?

Consider Peter in the Bible. He literally walked on water! But then he started sinking. Most people call that a failure. But was it?

👉 I like to say Peter didn’t fail—he was just practicing his water-walking skills!

Think about your own life. Maybe you started a business, and it didn’t work out. Instead of saying, “I failed,” what if you said:

What worked, and what didn’t?
Is there a skill I need to learn?
Was this just not the right opportunity for me?

Failure isn’t final. It’s just feedback.

"Our lives move in the direction of our strongest thoughts"! - Pastor Craig Groeschel

✅ 3. Focus on Solutions, Not Problems

Craig Groeschel once said, “Our lives move in the direction of our strongest thoughts.”

In other words, if you focus on problems, you’ll only find more problems. But if you focus on solutions, you’ll start to see new possibilities.

A lot of people get stuck in what I call "paralysis of analysis." They overthink their mistakes, replay the failure in their mind, and stay stuck in regret instead of moving forward.

So, what can you do when you feel overwhelmed by failure?

Ask better questions. Instead of asking, Why did this happen to me? ask, What’s one step I can take to move forward?
Role-reversal technique. If your best friend was in your situation, what advice would you give them? Now, take your own advice!
Take action quickly. The faster you learn from failure and apply the lesson, the quicker you bounce back.

💡Pastor G's Final Thought

I’m not saying failure is easy. Some failures shake us to our core. But failure is never the end of the story—it could be the beginning of a powerful comeback. As my friend and mentor would say...