In short – all results are only “feedback”.
To judge a result of a behaviour or action to be a success or a failure depends on the desired outcome and context. However, to accept that there is no failure only feedback opens up the possibilities of choice, the opportunities to change context, and the choice to identify how to make changes so that the feedback changes to the desired feedback.
The issue with accepting failure is that we are so much less likely to attempt to do something again. The valuable learning we have achieved from our first non-successful attempt is then lost to us. It is so much more useful to take non-success as feedback, and then have another go.
Note: By accepting there is no failure, we must also accept there is no success either. The important thing is to take note of the feedback and make changes to your actions to get the results you desire.
Tips to use this NLP presupposition:
Next time you do something and you feel like you failed, see how it feels when you “flip it” – decide “I did not fail, I just got feedback on how not to achieve that thing”.
Top “no failure only feedbackers” in history: Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, in fact anyone who has ever been a success. Because you can be sure they didn’t reach success the first time round.
