Why talk about failure being a good thing?

It is not good. It’s terrible.  Real failure hurts.

But it is necessary.

For deep, lasting learning to happen, failure is necessary.

We Don’t Avoid It

At Acton Academy, we don’t avoid it.

We own it.

Sometimes it’s the Eagles who need to own the failure.

Other times, we as their Guides need to own it because we didn’t make the “why” strong enough, or create a clear enough process to follow, or provide the right incentives.

Two Specific Action Steps After Failure

The key is that the failure needs to sting. And after feeling the pain, there are two specific action steps we must take:

  1. Reflect on the failure and talk about it;
  2. Figure out what we’ll do differently next time.

What then?

We don’t quit even though we want to. We get back in the game.

No Participation Trophies Allowed

There are no participation trophies allowed at Acton Academy. Instead, our Eagles carry around badges of courage, perseverance, and honor etched into their hearts to last a lifetime.

Not so much fun. But definitely a win.

 

Blog originally posted at: https://www.actonacademyparents.com/failure-is-not-a-good-thing/