How to turn “failure” into forward movement.

I love plants. I love to re-pot them, dig in the dirt, water them, prune them, watch them grow. There is something so unique and special about the magical way plants turn into something from what appears to be nothing.  I just LOVE plants.

But, at times in my plant journey, I struggle to keep my plants in the “thrive-zone.”  I overwater. Underwater. Over-sunlight. Under-fertilize. Who even knows which plant needs which kind of care at what time? Certainly not me. Or, at least, not on my first attempt.

Where am I going with this plant-based-ramble, you might wonder?

There are times on my plant-mom journey that I feel like a complete flop. Similar to life, I am doing my best. But at times, “my best” turns into brown leaves and soggy roots. As in life, my best attempts don’t always result in the outcome I had envisioned. And it feels bad.  We might even say it feels like failure.

For example…We may try to go to the gym every day after work and succeed only one day. We may attempt a new recipe, and the dish flops. We may try to remain calm at all times, but we (sometimes) loose our cool.

All of these situations are normal and okay.  It is challenging (and sometimes impossible!) to “get it right” on the first attempt, especially when trying something new! And that’s okay.

I am 100% confident that every “failed” attempt at something included a ton of new insights. Maybe you learned that hitting the gym after work is not feasible and you may  be more successful at going for a walk on your lunch break. Maybe you learned that you really do need to sift the dry ingredients to get that fluffy baked outcome. Maybe you learned that you have way less control over your emotions when you don't get a good night’s sleep.

Long story short- “Failed attempts” are really just opportunities for learning.

Personally, I am 100% more confident in my plant care after I have already successfully flopped at my first attempt. Sure, I feel a little disappointment in my lack of success. And then I research, regroup, create a new plan, and try again!…With more determination, knowledge, excitement, and newfound confidence in moving forward.

What if you could reframe your “failures” into learning opportunities?

What if you could use your new knowledge to create a better, more informed second/third/tenth attempt?

What if each “mistake” was really just an opportunity to grow into a better-informed future self?

Make mistakes!  Try something new!  Fail and then try again!

At best- you totally rocked it.

At worst- you had an experience, made an attempt, and learned something in the process.

I have NO doubt you can do whatever you set your mind to (maybe not on the first attempt and maybe not even on the twentieth attempt). But, with time, practice, courage, and a learner’s mindset, I know you will get to where you want to be.

As always, if you’re curious about reframing “failures” as “experiments,” don’t hesitate to reach out!

I cannot wait to partner with you on your journey.