Some advice from a guy that won’t be at the Super Bowl in two weeks.

Knowing how to process failure is one of the most important building blocks of success.

Thoughts on failing and how to use it for gains:

First, I don’t believe in moral victories.

Winning and losing is straightforward. It’s one or the other.

You can do well or make a good effort, but if you come up short that’s still a loss.

And the only way to turn a loss into a win depends on what you do with that failure.

How people react to failure is also pretty A or B.

Some people let it grind them down. They use it as an excuse to give up (most people).

Others, use it to reflect, improve, and do better (few people).

If you get into the latter camp, you’re already in the right direction.

The next step is avoiding the blame game trap.

It is really easy to point fingers when something goes wrong.

But this cannot be part of the process. Why? You can’t control or change others, only yourself.

Focus on recognizing your involvement and how you could’ve done better.

Know that failure isn’t just an opportunity to understand things situationally.

It’s also a good time understand your true character.

Most people aren’t honest with themselves about who they are.

Failure pulls back that curtain, don’t be afraid to look.

Once you’ve fully reflected about it, don’t just keep things in your head.

This part is crucial.

Write. It. Down.

Keep a record of what happened and what you learned.

Look back on those notes when you are in similar situations.

Lastly, recognize that this is a temporary state.

Failures today can be part of victories tomorrow.

Just because you have the plan to win everything, there’s always a bigger vision you might not be able to see.

The most important thing to remember is that failure can actually set you up for success.

Small failures along the way, with lessons learned, help you keep moving.

People who win all the time think they have all the answers.

That’s actually the most dangerous place to be.

My hope is that you can apply all this to the failures in your life that are yet to come.

Every failure is a reset point.

It forces accountability.

It reminds us all to be humble.