We’re often told to learn from our failures. There is an idea – a correct one – that if you learn from a failure then it is not really a failure, because it helps you bring something into the future with you to help you achieve future goals.
But that doesn’t mean that we have nothing to learn from our successes. It also means that there is always something to take away from the event – something that makes the experience more valuable to you both now and in the future.
Success Isn’t Easy
One of the reasons that we focus on learning from failures is because failures *should* happen. The best things in life are difficult. They take work, learning, and trial/error. Sometimes, what we hope to achieve is not always possible, and that’s something we can learn from as well. Failures teach us things that we can take with us in our lives.
But successes aren’t just successes. They’re also a chance to reflect on what we’ve learned. Sometimes, we see a success as the end goal, taking a big sigh of relief and allowing us to feel like we’re done. But what we’ve found is that there is considerable learning in successes as well:
- There are the obstacles that you were able to overcome to get to this point, and how you were able to get there.
- There were the fears that you had on your journey, and you can learn not only how you overcame those fears but also how the fears didn’t become reality.
- There were beliefs you had in yourself that are now challenged by your success, and you can envision what you can do in the future now that you know more about yourself and what you’re capable of.
These are all things that you can reflect on, even when you have succeeded. In fact, as psychologists, we would strongly recommend you *do* reflect on these things. Making a conscious choice to recognize and reflect on these things, and also to take time to learn from your successes in other ways, will both help you enjoy the successes and also internalize the mental health components that you have learned (such as not to allow fear to hold you back).
The more we learn about ourselves, our capabilities, and how strong we are, the more likely we will also be able to have successes and overcome challenges in the future. Contact Long Island Psychology today to learn more about personal growth, reducing anxiety, and more.
