When Is a Failure Not a Failure?

"Tenacity is not something you're born with, it's something you develop," says Bill Phillips, author of Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength. "For me, it came from developing the habit of never seeing a failed effort as a failure. I've probably made more mistakes in my business than most people make in a lifetime. I just make them faster. I fail fast and try again. I don't see myself as a failure because something I tried failed. As long as I'm trying, I'm never truly a failure.

"Tenacity is about doing better than what you think your best effort is. So often people say, 'I'm doing the best I can.' In reality, they could do better. A great place to learn about breaking perceived barriers is in the gym. The way people exercise is often the way they approach everything in their life. They get to a certain point, it starts to be a little uncomfortable, and they draw the line right there. But the way to approach every challenge in life is to push yourself beyond what you think you can do, whether it's during a workout or during your workday, or in any aspect of your life.

"You can't worry about other people's perceptions. Sometimes, when others see you breaking out of your comfort zone, it makes them uncomfortable. But if you look around and see that people are putting forward a half-hearted effort, you'll also see that they're getting half-hearted results. Those who succeed are willing to set their mind to something, to go out and get it. They're willing to push themselves to a higher level."

Energy and persistence alter all things.

—Benjamin Franklin,
U.S. statesman