The Phases of Failure

Jaret B Barron
5 days ago
3 min read

Scripture of the Day

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…”

— Romans 8:28

BIG DREAMERS MOTIVATION:

Failure is inevitable. But how you define it determines whether it destroys you or develops you.

Most people think failure means you didn’t reach the goal. But goals create pressure. Objectives create direction. Switch to objectives, and failure becomes nothing more than data guiding your next move.

Now let’s talk about failure in the three ways it shows up in the manifesting process of an idea before, during, and after.

BEFORE THE IDEA — The Freeze Zone

Before you even start, fear might try to stop you.

You might feel anxiety. You might overthink. You might worry about judgment. You might want things to be perfect. You might fear the embarrassment of getting it wrong.

Before the fail ever happens, failure already starts whispering:

“Don’t start. Don’t try. Don’t move.”

That’s where most people stop. But here’s where you must do the opposite:

Press go. One day, while creating this blog series, I had to make that exact decision. I wanted this message to be an eBook. Then I wanted it to be a podcast. Then a web series. Then a full brand extension.

I had 12 different versions of the dream…but no version of the execution.

And then it hit me:

“Just press go. Strip it down to the most valuable version. Start as a blog. Build consistency. Build the system. Let it evolve.”

That’s how you turn failure into a stepping stone before it ever happens you start anyway. You strip it down. You get to the basics:

What problem am I solving?

Who am I helping?

What’s the simplest first step?

Press go and adjust later.

DURING THE PROCESS — The Problem-Solving Season

Now here’s the part people don’t talk about:

When you’re in the middle of something big a business, a project, a dream failure doesn’t even look like failure.

It looks like a problem that needs to be solved right now.

During my last theater festival, I saw the end goal clearly. I believed we would get there. I believed the show would be finished, the seats would be filled, the production would happen.

And it did.

But deep down, as we moved through each day, I also saw the micro-objectives we weren’t reaching the financial markers, the operational steps, the benchmarks that were quietly slipping.

That’s how failure looks during the process.

Not as a crash…but as a collection of problems you must solve quickly.

The truth is, when you’re building something meaningful:

You will be failing and succeeding at the exact same time.

So during the fail, your job is not to panic. Not to crumble. Not to quit.

Your job is simple: Fix the problem in front of you and move toward the objective.

AFTER YOU MADE IT THROUGH — The Reflection Zone

After the journey is over — that’s when the embarrassment hits.

That’s when the disappointment lands.That’s when the public moments replay in your mind.That’s when you look back and feel the sting.

But the after-season is also your greatest gift.

Because now you get to examine the truth:

Where did you fall short?
Which objectives weren’t met?
What did you not know?
Which weaknesses were exposed?
What do you need help with moving forward?

People say "hire your weaknesses, "but you’ll never know where you’re weak if you don’t fail first.

Reflection is where wisdom is born. It’s where your next level begins.

So yes, failure can embarrass you…but it can also equip you.

If before teaches you to start, and during teaches you to adapt, then after teaches you to grow.

That’s how failure becomes your stepping stone before, during, and after the process.

BRAND MAN TIP OF THE DAY

“Confront the Brutal Facts — But Never Lose Faith.”

Use failure as a diagnostic tool. Look at the truth exactly as it is. Adjust your systems. Rebuild your strategy. And move forward with absolute belief that you will prevail.