Flawsome: Why Failing is the New Success

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Dawn Todd, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

Women entrepreneurs, welcome to your imperfect life. Relax, it’s going to be all right. Not perfect is not a bad thing. In fact, imperfections are a good thing. They can cause growth and laughter. They can make you a more authentic person. They can be things of beauty. They can empower and grow self-confidence.

Not too shabby for something that most people try to cover up, ignore and avoid.

Didn’t get that client you really wanted to work with? Flawsome. Something better is coming along.

Don’t really understand the numbers that make your business tick but too embarrassed to ask for help?
Flawsome. You’ve been successful up to this point without really mastering the numbers, imagine what’s possible if you really got it.

Didn’t hit your goal of losing 25 pounds but lost 22 instead? Flawsome. Steady progress wins the race.

Believe me, I know all about being less than perfect, but it’s taken a long time to recognize flawsome. I used to be totally focused on making sure everything was done right, all the time. I succumbed to the expectations of my husband (now my ex) had for a perfectly clean house all the time, dinner on the table when he arrived home, kids happy and always well-mannered, and of course, to be ten pounds below my ideal weight. Because that’s just what a good wife does, right?

That same attitude carried over to my businesses. I’ve been a women entrepreneur for (geez!) 30 years and I have sure made my share of mistakes. Compulsively checking and re-checking the marketing pieces. Not stepping out and meeting people because public speaking gave me a migraine (I have overcome this one, thank goodness!) Being afraid to ask for the sale because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Being over-confident in sales projections and making a large buying decision based on faulty numbers.

Flawsome, baby.

How could any of these possibly be flawsome? Because it shaped me into who I am today. Taught me to fight for my self-esteem and intelligence. To stand up and speak up for what is right and true. To respect myself enough to insist on respect. As a women entrepreneur, to ask for the sale and to absolutely know the numbers in my business that drive success.

It seems to me that failing, and failing big, is actually the new success model. You can’t really work out the kinks in anything without a spectacular fail or two along the way.

I used to think that if I just had happy thoughts everything would be okay. There’s no doubt about it, positivity is always a plus in anybody’s life. We could all use a boost of positivity and confidence in ourselves and in our abilities.

But what happens when the tide of negativity overwhelms our consciousness and deflates the positive progress we have make? It’s then that the power of habit kicks in. The muscle we develop in this situation helps establish a strong, creative and courageous temperament.

When you believe that a mistake is evidence that you’re weak, worthless and not trying hard enough it’s actually evidence of how you really feel about yourself. You feel that you’re weak. You feel that you’re worthless. Eventually, you feel that nothing you do will succeed. You lose confidence in yourself and in your abilities. Something that doesn’t exist actually has the ability to make you fail at life.

The way around these problems is simple. You need to begin embracing your imperfections and see them for what they really are – flawsome opportunities for growth and self-knowledge.
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Dawn Todd is the founder of Wildly Successful Women, a business networking Meetup Group of 6,000+ women owned businesses and women entrepreneurs, and the Go-To Authority on Manifesting Money, Prosperity and Business Success.

With over twenty-five years as an energy medicine teacher and practitioner and ten years as an author, speaker and Executive & Business Coach and Consultant, Dawn brings a deep understanding of sacred feminine energy, prosperity consciousness and intention alongside grounded business practices.

Dawn’s stellar list of partners have included Microsoft, American Express, Napoleon Hill Foundation, Daniels College of Business, COUNTRY Insurance, Rockies Venture Club, Angel Capital Summit, eWomenNetwork, WomanScope News and Constant Contact and has recently been invited to be an expert contributor for The Huffington Post.