Hey there. For a long time, I saw failure everywhere. Every time something didn’t go as planned, I’d feel it deep. Like I had completely messed up. Whether it was something with fitness, business, content, or just life in general... I always assumed it meant I wasn’t cut out for it. But what I’ve learned is that actual failure is rare. What most of us experience isn’t failure. It’s feedback.
Failure has this final-sounding tone to it. But most of the things we think of as failures are just part of figuring stuff out. The project that didn’t land. The business idea that never took off. The scale number that didn’t drop. None of those things are failures. They’re data points. And when you shift your mindset to see them that way, everything changes.
I’ve tried a lot of things. Some didn’t work at all. Some worked for a while but needed to evolve. From starting a cerebral palsy fitness blog in 2013 to launching in-home personal training, I’ve had plenty of moments where I could have said “this failed.” But instead, I looked at them as necessary steps. I learned new skills, met new people, and slowly figured out what I actually enjoy doing.
Even now, I try things that don’t get the response I expected. Whether it's content, podcast topics, or how I coach clients... sometimes it just doesn’t click. That doesn’t mean I failed. It means I need to adjust. Try a new approach. Tweak the message.
This is true for your fitness journey too. If you track your weight, your waist, your progress pics, your minimum daily actions, and your weekly goals, you’re not failing when the results aren’t what you hoped. You’re collecting information. The more honest you are about what’s working and what’s not, the easier it is to make the next move.
So let’s stop calling it failure. Let’s call it what it is... growth.
I want to hear your thoughts. What’s something you used to think was a failure but now see as a learning experience? Send me a message through YourLevelFitness.com, email me, or hit me up on social.
And if you’re tired of trying to figure it all out alone, join The YLF Experience. You’ll get real support, daily structure, and a community that knows it’s not about being perfect... it’s about staying in the process.