When reading Chapter 2 of the book The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird, there were several fascinating concepts that I had not considered before. Probably the most potent statement that the authors made that I had not heard of before is when they emphasize the importance of failure over idling when solving a problem that you have no idea how to approach. They propose, “When you're stuck, and you don't know what to do, don't do nothing-instead, fail. Making a specific mistake puts you in a different and better position than you were in before you started. And it's a forward step you know you can actually take.” This is a proposal I had never really thought of before, but I do believe there is a significant
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However, if you notice, he continues to keep trying and does not stop playing just because he did not make a shot. Instead, he continues to keep shooting and hustling because he does not view failure in a negative light and understands that it is key to success. This is verified when he admits, “I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” It is because of the many failures Michael encountered during his basketball career that he evolved into the great basketball player he is. He used every mistake and failure on the court as a learning lesson for him the next time he stepped on the court, and that is why he was able to succeed and make the game winning shot against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals at the end of the commercial. He would have never been able to make that shot if it weren't for the "26 times" before when he had missed the game winning …show more content…
This was an idea that had been ingrained within my head for many years based on what I had heard from my teachers, friends, parents, television, etc. For all my life, I had always thought that I should never be wrong and do the best in all of my math classes. However, I had to eventually learn to accept my failures and use them as a learning lesson to improve my skills as a mathematician rather than give up because I could not solve a problem correctly the first time. By the time I began taking AP Calculus in high school, I started to learn that it is impossible for me to solve every problem correctly the first time and that I must accept the fact that I cannot rely on my intelligence for me to be successful in such a demanding and advanced course. This was where I began to develop the "workhorse mentality" that would be necessary for me to succeed as I began taking college-level math courses such as Calculus. I finally came to the realization that the only way I can improve as a mathematician is by learning to accept my failures in a positive light and use them as an additional opportunity for me to learn concepts I struggled to understand initially. This simple notion of learning to accept "failure" sparked a miraculous transformation within me. Never before, was I willing to spend countless hours watching videos on YouTube and doing
However, if you notice, he continues to keep trying and does not stop playing just because he did not make a shot. Instead, he continues to keep shooting and hustling because he does not view failure in a negative light and understands that it is key to success. This is verified when he admits, “I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” It is because of the many failures Michael encountered during his basketball career that he evolved into the great basketball player he is. He used every mistake and failure on the court as a learning lesson for him the next time he stepped on the court, and that is why he was able to succeed and make the game winning shot against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals at the end of the commercial. He would have never been able to make that shot if it weren't for the "26 times" before when he had missed the game winning …show more content…
This was an idea that had been ingrained within my head for many years based on what I had heard from my teachers, friends, parents, television, etc. For all my life, I had always thought that I should never be wrong and do the best in all of my math classes. However, I had to eventually learn to accept my failures and use them as a learning lesson to improve my skills as a mathematician rather than give up because I could not solve a problem correctly the first time. By the time I began taking AP Calculus in high school, I started to learn that it is impossible for me to solve every problem correctly the first time and that I must accept the fact that I cannot rely on my intelligence for me to be successful in such a demanding and advanced course. This was where I began to develop the "workhorse mentality" that would be necessary for me to succeed as I began taking college-level math courses such as Calculus. I finally came to the realization that the only way I can improve as a mathematician is by learning to accept my failures in a positive light and use them as an additional opportunity for me to learn concepts I struggled to understand initially. This simple notion of learning to accept "failure" sparked a miraculous transformation within me. Never before, was I willing to spend countless hours watching videos on YouTube and doing