The (Sometimes) Shiny Lining Of Failure

Midway through my 3rd week of Couch to 5K training my knees broke down.

I couldn’t believe it.

Was running for 3 consecutive minutes really too much for me? Very discouraging – particularly because I equated my potential to become a runner with my career potential.

After a painful run I made a heartrending decision: I decided to stop running.

It felt like I failed before I’d even gotten started.

I wasn’t, however, willing to give up my cardio routine. I’d been training diligently for three and a half weeks and was enjoying the routine immensely. I was determined to continue. The day after my last run I signed up for a membership at the local YWCA and have been swimming laps three times a week instead of running.

 
So far the silver lining of my jogging fail has been very, very shiny.

• No running outside in the crappy winter elements
• A workout partner (Andrew signed up too, so now we can encourage each other to stick to our fitness routines)
• Access to aqua classes with membership (including a deep water running that may be a nice low-impact substitute for my knees)
• Inclusive access to other fitness classes: yoga, dancefit, etc., and the cardio room with treadmills and bikes

How can I apply this success-out-of-failure story to my art practice?

• Don’t get hung up on the failures
• Be open to alternate means of achieving your goals – the path you are currently on may not be the best path for you
• Great disappointment occasionally morphs into greater satisfaction

I have to say I’m feeling rather happy about failure at the moment.

Do you have an experience where failure turned out to be a blessing?  Please share in the comments.