You gotta wipe out a lot before you can get better

We took the family skiing for Spring Break. Well, all but the little guy, he stayed home with his bestie.

My oldest son, Zac, grew more bold as the week went on, trying jumps and black diamonds. He was having the most fun, improving faster than the others, and….wiping out. A LOT.

After a particularly big wipeout, we were riding up the ski lift and I asked him if it bothered him that he kept falling. His response was, “Dad, that’s the only way to get better!”

Of course, not being able to help myself, I launched into what a great life lesson that was. And how if he ever wanted to be an entrepreneur, that mindset would serve him extremely well. And after feeling like I was really making a fatherly impression on him, I asked if he had any questions and he said, “Yeah, what do you think about Juice WRLD’s new album, A Death Race for Love?”

After asking him to repeat that multiple times so I at least understood the words he was saying (and, to be sure, I had to ask him to spell it for me while I wrote this post,) I realized quickly my lecture was falling on deaf ears. That was fine, though, because I was pretty sure he got the point on his own :)

I think we (as people, leaders, parents, entrepreneurs, and everything in between) forget that it’s ok to take chances and learn by failing. In fact, it’s just about the only way to get good at anything.

Key point: If you aren’t experiencing failure, then you are being driven by the desire to avoid it.