How to Break Your Own 'Will to Fail'

"One infinitesimal accomplishment in reality is worth a mountain of dreams." ~ Dorothea Brande, Wake Up and Live!

I am thankful to a reader, Eric W, for recommending I read Wake Up and Live! by Dorothea Brande.  If I did not trust him, I would have felt doubtful upon reading the first two sentences of the book, which at first appear over-zealous, pretentious or both:

Two years ago I came across a formula for success which has revolutionized my life.  It was so simple, and so obvious once I had seen it, that I could hardly believe it was responsible for the magical results which followed my putting it into practice.

As I continued to read, it seemed the words were directed at me; I had lived the words; and I continue to be challenged at times by my greatest obstacle to success--me.

There is no way to capture the essence of the book in a blog post, but Brande poignently explains the human tendency to perpetuate failure by remaining in a self-induced state of inertia.  We tend to keep ourselves in a dream state; we consistently talk ourselves out of transforming our dreams into reality; and we rationalize and make excuses as to why we have not yet set out to accomplish them.

Here are a few excerpts from Brande's Wake Up and Live!:

Failure indicates that energy has been poured into the wrong channel.

It takes energy to fail. A powerful struggle must be waged against the forces of life and movement in order to remain inert, although this struggle takes place so far beneath the surface of our lives that we do not always become aware of it. Physical inaction is no true sign that life-force is not being burned away. So even the idler is using fuel while they dream.

So we slip through the world without making our contribution, without discovering all that there was in us to do, without using the most minute fraction of our abilities, either native or acquired.

Most of us disguise our failure in public; we disguise it most successfully from ourselves.

All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success.

Success, for any sane adult, is exactly equivalent to doing one's best. What that best may be, what its farthest reaches may include, we can discover only by freeing ourselves completely from the Will to Fail.

As you may have detected, Dorothea Brande's simple, yet magical, "formula for success" is to "act as if it were impossible to fail."  How profoundly powerful! 

What life accomplishments (large or small) have you failed to even begin?  Which have you begun yet you continue to abandon?  What dreams will you transfer into reality?  Will you allow yourself to break the spell you have cast over yourself? 

Will you awaken from the dream state of inertia?

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Photo Credit: Ohh Shh Its Jon

Related Posts:

The Interception of Entropy

Get Busy Livin' or Get Busy Dyin'

Comments

[Jim Cosgrove]

Awakening from the dream state of inertia. I think that's called "enlightenment" or "realization." All sorts of "technologies" exist to carry us along that path: meditation, prayer, yoga (all eight limbs, not just hatha), and...acting as if it were impossible to fail!
Great stuff, Kent.

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

Thanks Jim! I believe the "act as if it were impossible to fail" aspect of awakening is the realization that perception is all that makes or breaks us...

Have a nice weekend...

Kent

[Janel]

I started to read the book on scribd and I was immediately intrigued. I can most definitely relate to her description of "the moment of illumination" in which I recently experienced a couple of months ago. All in all, you can't fail at being what you were put on this earth to be. That's just impossible!!!!

It's unfortunate that the book is out of print. $44.00 for a book is pretty steep. I would love to finish reading it!!!

[Pramod]

I also became aware of this book a few weeks ago and read it. I am now trying to actually implement her advice. Sometimes, I feel like I am able to do it and then I go back to my previous state. If there are any useful ideas on how to implement her deceptively simple idea, I would love to hear.

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

@ Janel: You can get a one-month subscription to Scribd for around $10 and download the book. If you want it in print, you'll have to print it on your own paper (the book is only around 40 pages).

While you're at it, you can find other books on Scribd and download them too!

Kent

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

@ Pramod:

The means of implementing Brande's idea is completely subjective (up to you).

You have to act authentically (as yourself), regardless of how you may perceive your actions will be received by others.

For example, if there is something you've always wanted to accomplish, just do it. Stop getting in the way of your own success.

Also, remember that "success" is not measured by monetary means. If money comes, consider it a bonus.

I hope that helps...

Kent

[Richie]

I've been looking more and more recently into the areas where I 'get in my own way' and stop myself from achieving what I want to achieve. And then I find this article.
Yeah, it's a pretty simple concept (acting as if it's impossible to fail). That's a new thing to me I will be trying from not on. Lets see how it works.
Thanks for the article and book tip:)

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

@ Richie:

I believe Brande's idea works well because most of us actually have a "Will to Fail," but are not aware of it.

Once the obstacles are visible, they can be removed.

Most of us just don't realize that the greatest obstacle is ourselves.

This book is an awakening to this truth; and hence the name, "Wake Up and Live!"

Thanks for the comment...

Kent

[Froizenchrome]

"act as if it were impossible to fail" . I find this comment very confusing as doing the act, in itself, can never lead to failure. There is always something to gain from the act regardless of the end result. I am inclined to believe in the lack of action is the failure. Simply put:

"Do or do not, there is no try" - Yoda

PS. No I have not read the book and I am probably missing a great deal here. I do concur that dreaming of the act as opposed to doing does lead naught.

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

Froizenchrome:

Your perspective is similar to Brande's: Many people fail because they do not act; or they fail because they sabotage their own success by losing confidence and stopping or by becoming distracted by mindless activity.

She also makes a distinction between dreaming (non-productive) and imagination (productive).

Also, Yoda is one of my favorite "philosophers!" Another great fictional philosopher is Albus Dumbledore, the wizard in the Harry Potter series. I read all the books with my son.

Thanks for the comment...

Kent