22 SepFear of failure? Guess what? Nobody is grading you.

Failure, ladies and gentlemen, is an option. As a matter of fact, at some point it’s an inevitability. A necessity even. And a real bitch, pardon the expletive, for a tried and true perfectionist.

Failing in business? Ack! That’s money we’re talking about. Real and true and pinot noir buying money! Or chocolate…Or payroll… Or rent. Or… well, you get the point.

We all hear these cliches about making mistakes, taking chances, risks, loans, wrong turns, and the result is real learning. Learning comes from risk, from failing. But, it’s scary as hell. “What if?” can dominate almost any thought. Especially when the risk hits can seriously impact your bottom line. So, we do what we can to mitigate those risks.

I had a mentor that taught me to plan, plan, plan and then do. I have tended to add about six more plans to that before doing out of fear that I may not get it right the first time. That I might make a mistake.

That I might fail.

So I kept planning until I had a full-proof, absolutely guaranteed-to-succeed plan. And then I planned some more. A real master mitigator. And then? Nothing. I planned myself to death. My full-proof, absolutely guaranteed-to-succeed plan missed the opening. Perfectionism took it out. Never gave it a chance. So, I gave up. I beat myself up. I ran out of wine.

I failed.

The urge to get it right the first time is a good one. No one wants to put a bunch of effort into something and have to do it over and over again. That’s just not smart. But sometimes you just have to take a deep breath…

And jump.

Here’s what I know for sure now. Trying and failing might be a pain in the whatever you land on, but it beats the hell out of not doing anything and wondering, “what if?” by a ridiculously long shot.

So from now on? Fail with abandon!

Need more inspiration? Check out some of my favorite links from these much braver and wiser people:

JK Rowling: The fringe benefits of failure | Video on TED.com.

Pick a direction, for crying out loud. – Blog – JobJenny – Your job search BFF.

The Happiness Project: Enjoy the Fun of Failure..

Tiny Wisdom: When You Fear Making Mistakes | Tiny Buddha: Wisdom Quotes, Letting Go, Letting Happiness In.