Before that, I’d never taken theater classes or anything like it, so my mind wouldn’t stop rambling: This isn’t why I signed up for this class; this show should be voluntary; I won’t know what to say; me and my big ideas, and so on…

Underneath all my chatter, the real reason I was going through such a hard time was one of the biggest lessons I learned in life. It forced me to deal with “failure” in real-time for the first time. 

Improv, short for improvisation, involves creating performances at the moment without prepared scripts. It’s performed in front of live audiences without editing, exposing performers to successes and failures. But as the saying goes, the show must go on.

I grew up believing that failure should be avoided at all cost because people who failed were typically criticized, dismissed, and/or ridiculed.

The problem with this approach was that it didn’t prepare me for real life. After facing a setback (which is inevitable), it would take me weeks, if not months, to recover because I was being too hard on myself. Overcoming self-criticism and doubt took a lot of effort.

Since then, my perspective on this has evolved. I’ve discovered practical approaches for transforming a toxic association of failure into a healthy one. Here, I want to share three concepts that have been helpful for me:

Failing Forward

This term was coined by John C. Maxwell. It focuses on the ability to recover from failure and continue moving forward. It looks at the bright side of the experience. It gives perspectives to help you recover quickly, also known as building resilience.

Learn to Process your Emotions

Failure gets a bad rep partly because of the emotions it evokes. Learning to detach your self-value from the results is key to overcoming failure. Remember that you are not your failures. If you have trouble processing those emotions, don’t be afraid to seek professional help.

Set the Right Expectations

Human behavior has prioritized the reward over the necessary work to achieve it. Expecting a smooth journey to something meaningful avoids the inevitable challenging situations.

The fear of failure can feel paralyzing and make you hesitate between trying something new or staying in your comfort zone. It takes a lot of courage to try something new and even more to continue moving forward.