Our answer to this question plays a critical role in determining how close we get to reaching our potential, both on and off the field. If we understand failure only as a noun - a thing that happens to us or, even worse, a defining characteristic of who we are - then failure is something to be feared. Those who attach fear to failure will avoid taking meaningful risks, and as a result their growth will always be stifled.

The most powerful way we can understand failure is as a verb and not a noun. Failure is an action word - it involves doing, trying, making mistakes, learning and persevering. It's this process that gets repeated over and over leading to incremental growth that makes it possible for us to reach the outer edges of our abilities. Simply making this shift in mindset can have a profound impact on our performance.

If you want to take the next step toward your goals, or you are simply looking for a competitive edge, then you would do well to change the way you define, view, and respond to failure. So let's take a quick look at those three keys when it comes to failure:

Define
Failure should be defined as feedback - valuable information that helps you on your path to mastery.

View
Failure should be viewed as inevitable, the ultimate source of learning and growth, and not something to be feared or avoided. As a result, we are freed up to take meaningful risks.

Respond
When we fail at something we must respond by accepting it without harsh self-judgement, take the time to pull the lessons from the wreckage, and move forward using our newfound lessons.

Failure is not something to be feared. In fact, it isn't a thing at all. Failure is a verb, and it's one that moves us forward as long as we define it, view it, and respond to it in the right ways.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” - Robert F. Kennedy