Where I Track My Planned Failures
This is my lab. My playground. My notebook for bold experiments and strategic missteps. Here, I keep track of the projects I’m currently tackling with the mindset of planned failure.
Each experiment has a purpose: to test ideas, push limits, and see what happens when I aim high while expecting — and preparing for — failure. I’ll be adding new posts over time about the experiments I’m running and, yes, the ways I’m currently failing. Think of it as a real-time map of growth through audacious trial and error.
Failing by Action or Inaction
Failure isn’t just about doing things wrong — sometimes it’s about failing to act.
Take money in the bank. You might think you’re safe, but if inflation is higher than the 1% interest you’re earning, you’re failing to protect your wealth. Doing nothing can be just as much of a failure as doing the wrong thing.
The key is to examine your choices and fail big on purpose. Expect it, plan for it, and make it productive.
Creativity Comes from Assuming Failure
When you assume you’re going to fail, it changes everything. Suddenly, you’re free to get creative with your attempts. You stop worrying about perfection and start experimenting boldly.
For example: You think you’re going to fail at walking 10,000 steps a day? Aim higher — maybe 15,000 — or start small with just three walks when you didn’t think you could do even one. By expecting failure, you open up options you wouldn’t otherwise consider.
10 Steps to Embrace Failing on Purpose
Failing on purpose isn’t about giving up — it’s about experimenting boldly, learning fast, and freeing yourself from the fear of outcomes. Here’s how I approach it:
- Assume you’ll fail – Plan for failure from the start. This removes pressure and frees your creativity.
- Fail hard – Go big in your experiments. Whether it’s asking for a pay rise or trying a new routine, aim beyond what feels safe.
- Prepare obsessively – Document, plan, and arm yourself with examples, data, or notes. If you’re going to fail, make it memorable.
- Fail by doing and by not doing – Inaction can be a form of failure too. Recognize where avoiding risk is holding you back.
- Track your experiments – Keep a journal, spreadsheet, or blog like this one to log what you’re trying and how it goes.
- Learn from each failure – Analyze outcomes without judgment. Failure is information, not identity.
- Iterate quickly – Use what you learn to adjust and experiment again. Failing fast is better than failing slowly.
- Let go of perfection – You don’t need to succeed or even be good at it — the goal is experimentation.
- Ask “So what if I fail?” – Redefine risk. Most failures are survivable; the upside is learning.
- Celebrate your failures – Document them, share them, and treat them as badges of experimentation.