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Try It! Essay - Dealing with Failure

Very few of us are successful all the time. Some failures are little ones, like oversleeping and missing an important lecture in biology class; some are greater ones, like failing a course, or breaking up a romantic relationship with a long-time friend. However, neither one failure nor one success is enough to identify us as individuals. Rather, life is a series of successes and failures. The true measure of one's worth is how we learn from them and move forward.

I. Following is a list of typical situations describing failures of varying severity. Indicate all that apply to you by clicking in the space next to the item.

Failed a quiz in a class in my major
Failed a final exam in a class in my major
Missed an important lecture in one of my required classes
Failed a required class
Didn't complete a term paper for a required class that significantly impacted on my grade
Missed a scheduled meeting with my advisor because I overslept
Forgot to call my parents last month
Broke up with my boy/girl friend after a long relationship
Watched a television program instead of studying for a major test
Ate my roommate's yogurt/chips/chocolate and forgot to replace it

II. Analyze the failures you listed for yourself above by answering the following questions:

1. Of the failures you checked in the list above, which one would you consider the most serious?

2. What caused you to fail this activity?

3. Can you reasonably say that you are responsible for this failure? Why?

4. What can you do to prevent this kind of failure in the future? Describe some specific steps you can take.

5. If you follow the steps you outlined above, do you think you can avoid this particular failure in the future?

III. How do you handle life's daily little successes and failures? Do you take them in your stride or do your emotions get the better of you? Are you able to understand what part your actions played in a given situation failing or succeeding? Are you able to learn from your mistakes and avoid them in the future? Do you prepare for new situations or do you simply let them happen and then deal with their successes or failures later?

CLICK HERE to try a simple exercise.

  1. You have four shapes and four boxes.
  2. Each shape belongs in a certain box.
  3. Try to put the right shape in the right box.

IV. Analyze your reactions to the exercise above by answering the following questions:

1. Were you successful at completing the exercise?

2. If you were not able to complete the exercise, how did it make you feel?

3. Did you understand the directions to the exercise?

4. Why do you suppose you were unable to complete it?

5. Faced with a similar situation in the future, what would you do differently?

6. In situations where you have little control over the outcome, how does your success or failure make you feel?

7. Should failure in one particular situation impact on your overall self-assessment?

(Psst! Want a hint?)

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