Failing Forward…

For many of us Physiotherapy is a new thing. The exercises and other treatments are not what we’d normally do and they feel strange. And as you know, doing something new (especially something that requires effort) can be difficult and unnerving. Not to mention temporary soreness!

But it’s okay to find new things hard - whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. Some things are physically hard to do. Some things require so much concentration! And sometimes it’s frightening to go back to doing something that we hurt ourselves doing before. It’s okay to fail. A good friend once told me that to achieve mastery of anything then I need to be prepared to fail. And you already know that to be true in your life. The question is … will you keep trying?

Research into motivation has found what may be obvious to you - if you really want something then you will do what it takes. Or, to put it another way, if you’re working toward a goal that’s really important to you then you will you will keep trying until those failures develop into stepping stones to success.

Personal (or ‘intrinsic’) goal setting is about harnessing what’s called your ‘intrinsic motivation’. We are naturally motivated to do things we enjoy. It’s such a powerful motivator that it is a strong predictor of outcomes. So make sure that the goals you set are important to you - whether it be your physical health, your social life or your personal interests.

Set good goals and the failures will be worth it … because you will be failing forward!