Fail More Often

The first time you rode a bike, your knees probably ended up skinned. With every whack to the ground, you became a little bit better. You did the same with reading or your favorite subject. However, unlike riding a bike, learning to master your favorite subject came without pain. In seeking perfection, you avoid failure more. By doing so, you’ve suppressed the curiosity that makes you take the risk of new journeys.

Too Smart to Fail

If you haven’t failed recently, you haven’t been trying to accomplish new feats. You may have been planning or thinking of taking the first step to achieving something, but you haven’t taken action. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and that can easily be fixed.

When you’ve been told you’re smart or talented, it’s by people who watch you achieve something they haven’t. What they don’t see is the hours you spent shooting that ball or writing the code for your app. What they see is the finished product, and it seems like magic to them. In these moments, humility and happiness consumed you, even if no one understood how hard what you’ve done was for you. Still, these compliments have made you hesitant to make mistakes.

The not-so-smart have no fear of embarrassment, unlike the opposite.

Regardless of your level of intelligence, it is normal and Ok to make mistakes, even if they sting a little. Ironically, you probably see certain celebrities and wonder why it seems so many not-very-smart people are so successful (examples include podcasters Adam22 and Alex Jones). The answer is, a good majority tend to be extroverts with a deep lack of self-awareness. Smart people don’t listen to them and can’t believe anyone else would. Meanwhile, millions of others are tuning in for the IQ-draining session called a podcast. The not-so-smart have no fear of embarrassment, unlike the opposite.

Dismiss the Pretense

If you like, you can spend months researching how to write a book, what the different genres of fiction are and who reads what. Or you can write your first story, second and third, as you do your research. For you, perfection is a must when you make your first product or write your first script. However, your competition is selling thousands of glued-together wristbands.

Although research is good, celebrities like Tyler Perry and Bill Gates just did. As a writer who speaks with other writers, we are all generally disappointed with Tyler Perry’s writing. It’s generic and unrefined. Regardless of what we think, his writing has made him a billionaire. He could have sat beside Joe Anybody in a writing program and spent his life planning the best script ever. But who is Joe Anybody, and what is he doing now?

… you don’t need to read 10 books… before you start listing your art for sell online.

In reality, there are dozens of people trying to sell you something. When your goal is to excel financially, you might find some products or services worth buying. Still, you don’t need to read 10 books and pay 4 consultants before you start listing your art for sell online.

So, do. Make flyers about the course or product you’re offering. Put together quick videos using stock footage if you must. Tell people about your product or service and leave them with a card that has a QR code to your website if you maintain one. Think about how many customers you can gain and not about the ones you don’t have. Everything else will fall in place.

The Takeaway

Take more risks and fail more often to succeed. If you have been putting something off because of fear of failure, take the chance. Failure will make your face hot, but it will give you insight into what you have to overcome. Make flyers, post until you drop on social media or tell everyone you can about whatever you’re offering. Stop overthinking. There are no mistakes. There are only lessons.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.