I expect you to read about failure during the holiday season? Yes, I do. Sorry-not-sorry for that, but the timing on goal-setting is perfect, and failure provides an ideal framework. Here’s my one disclaimer: I’m not a failure-focused person. I’m a success-focused person who is candid about the times things haven’t worked out (and is okay with the majority of those). Most importantly, I recognize that “failures” can be defined in many ways, and that a constructive approach to those times and events involves learning from them.
Taking risks, hopefully in an environment in which they are “safe”, provides us with opportunities for improvement in both the professional and personal aspects of our lives. If we don’t try new things…well, we will simply keep getting what we’ve had before. I’m not advising recklessness. What I am encouraging is curiosity. What if you looked at something you are afraid to do (handle snakes!) and redefined it by articulating what you fear will happen if you do it (no actual fear unless they’re poisonous, I just think snakes are icky). Tim Ferriss provides a fabulous Ted Talk on his process to manage fear, which provides many ways to understand that most of our fears are completely irrational. What IS the worst thing that can actually happen?
My approach goal for the blog? I’m going to keep finding items that I find interesting, some medical and some not, to curate and share here on a semi-regular basis. I enjoy it when we all learn together.