26A: Celebrating Failure

1) Tell us about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class, or outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times this semester, and failed each time. 

Earlier in the semester, I went to my hometown of Salta, Argentina for my cousin's wedding. Every time I go out of town, or on vacation, I make sure to fulfill all of my responsibilities beforehand, so I don't have to worry about them while I'm away. This is to ensure I don't find myself without time to complete assignments, or without an internet connection. So, of course, I completed my Entrepreneurship assignments as I always do, on Monday morning. I don't know if I was in a rush or what, but for some reason, I completed the assignment on Blogger, but I never submitted the links or the declare assignments. It was a total lapse of awareness, and my grade dropped about 6 points, thanks to being unable to participate in the peer review portion.

2) Tell us what you learned from it. 

I realized that I now need to double- or triple-check that I've submitted the assignment's link and declare page when completing assignments for this class. As in real life, no one will be around to make sure you complete your assignments, and you take the brunt of it if you forget. You live and you learn.

3) Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally). Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure -- are you more likely to take a risk now than you were just a few months ago?

I actually read Scott Adams' book on failure, and my perspective on it has changed entirely. Failure is life's greatest teacher. When you fail, you know then what not to do, and your chances of succeeding increase exponentially. As Scott Adams said, "Everything that you want out of life is in [a] big vat of failure. The trick is to get the good stuff out." I'm definitely more likely to take risks now, because the worst thing that can happen if that you start back at square one. The potential rewards for taking a calculated risk are much greater than the negative repercussions.

Comments

  1. VictoriaApril 9, 2019 at 4:42 PM

    I could see how this could easily happen. I have made similar mistakes that costed me points in some of my classes as well. The good thing is you did realize to double check your work to make sure everything is completed. I have realized rushing to get something done beforehand can usually be the biggest factor of mistakes that tend to happen. Luckily most the time it can be fixed and it really teaches you to take your time and make sure everything is correct.

    ReplyDelete
  2. laityn russellApril 10, 2019 at 4:55 PM

    Hi Fede, I too learned to triple checking my submissions because there were a few assignments I messed up when declaring that I finished. I completely agree that failure is life's greatest teacher and that without it you would not be able to progress. I also think it helps people better understand their strengths and weaknesses.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ChrisApril 12, 2019 at 10:37 AM

    The same thing happened to me with one of the assignments. I often don’t pay attention to detail lose points all the time because of it. Unfortunately, I have yet to learn my lesson. Like you said, Failure is life's greatest teacher, and it is probably going to take more than a few points for me to really learn my lesson about attention to detail. You would think this blog comment would be enough for me to realize it..

    ReplyDelete
  4. SabrinaApril 15, 2019 at 2:17 PM

    I completely feel you that doing an assignment and not getting the credit for it hurts more than not doing an assignment at all. I loved your connection of needing to double-check if you submitted an assignment since no one will check up on you in the real world because it is a feat we need to face often. Failure is hard to accept but makes you appreciate your success ten times more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alex FastApril 15, 2019 at 5:51 PM

    I made a similar mistake by submitting the wrong URL (it was the editing link and not the real readable link) and this cost me several points. It happens, and it's important to double check all your work, but it's better if it happens on assignments worth less points so you can learn from it but not have it affect your grade a lot. Failure's hard when it happens, but as time passes I think we're able to look at it in a more positive and educational view.

    ReplyDelete

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