You know what I say to people who call themselves failures? You wish! To fail is to have tried, to have given it your all and failed regardless. Most people don’t fail; most people give up too early or never even try. Those people are not failures. You’ve got to earn that title, man.
People who talk and talk…and talk about starting a business but never so much as conduct a Google search to learn more about it are not failures. Those who go to every seminar, read every book, and sign up for every coaching planet under the sun but still haven’t committed a business idea are not failures.
And the people who claim to have a business but really just have a few business cards and a nonfunctioning website, they’re not failures either. They’re all talk and no action, dreamers who never get off their butts and take action. How can you be a failure if you haven’t even tried?
For every person who spends most of their time wishing and hoping there is someone who started a real business with the intent to succeed, but gave up way too soon. They choke; they let competition and cash flow challenges spook them right out of achieving their dream. For whatever reason, be it fear of failure or fear of success, lack of self worth or other limiting beliefs, many would-be entrepreneurs jump ship at the first sign of trouble.
Some people have preconceived notions about entrepreneurialism that are a load of crap, believing starting their own business will free them from the grind of work and help them get rich in seconds flat. So it’s no surprise those people throw in the towel early on when they realize nothing could be father from the truth. But they’re not failures. Not even close. They’re quitters.
Failure happens. Sometimes you miss the mark, and sometimes circumstances are beyond your control. Remember, the best baseball players have a batting average of around 300, which means they fail at least more than half of the time. What they don’t do is sit on the bench and think about playing baseball, or give up on the first strike.
Mike Michalowicz is the author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.
