The Success Mindset vs. The Failure Mindset: The Not So Obvious Truth
When you compare a success mindset to a failure mindset it appears that there is no comparison. It seems extremely obvious that a success mindset is better than a failure mindset. However, let’s break this down further to be sure.
As John Wooden says in one of his definitions for success, success breeds peace of mind. Undeniably, success is a stress reliever that brings peace of mind to those who sacrifice greatly for the fruits of success. What’s more, success also breeds more success because success also breeds confidence. There is no denying that a success mindset is both good to you and good for you.
On the other hand, failure breeds growth, and growth breeds progress. When you believe you can get better at something you’re not naturally good at through hard work and effort you don’t fear failure, you embrace it. Instead of focusing on the success outcome, you focus on the journey of learning and improving. This mindset is what enables you to face difficult challenges with resilience. This means the absence of failure is a signal that you aren’t being challenged, and that you aren’t getting better.
Is Success Better or Getting Better Better?
So what gives? Now that I have gone deeper in looking at the success vs. the failure mindset which do you think is better? As with many things in life, neither is better and both are necessary. But only when you apply them to the right things at the right time.
The success mindset is best when you apply this mindset to task goals not ego goals. The failure mindset is best when you apply this mindset to ego goals instead of task goals. This is the essence for what sports psychologist call goal perspective theory.
Simply stated, success matters most in the details of what you do, as well as the why and how you do it. Failure matters most when you need to challenge yourself to get better, mentally tougher, and more resilient. To become the best version of yourself, you need both.