How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
I decided to read Scott Adams's book How to Fail at Everything and Still Win Big which details a number of useful tips Adams has picked up in his life of continuous failure and unexpected success. The general theme is that anyone can experience success and happiness if they develop the right mindset, and constantly work to learn and improve themselves. I think it makes for a good read for a lot of young entrepreneurs, especially since the author has his own stories of entrepreneurial failure, but mostly because it is simply good advice for anyone. It's a great guide for taking control of one's life and finding true happiness.
A good activity relating to the book might be to have students write down three to five goals that they have and think of how they can either turn them into a system, or use a system to achieve them (i.e. Get an A on the next test could become spend more time studying at night). Adams talks about how goals can wear on us since they often have a decisive end wherein they are either achieved or not achieved, whereas systems are things we can do regularly that allow us to succeed every time we do them, allowing us to feel better about ourselves in the process.
I think my biggest surprise when reading was that it wasn't all about failure and learning from mistakes, a lot of the book was about little changes we can make in our mindsets and daily lives that can lead to more happiness in the future. Things like developing skills and overcoming shyness. They were all useful tips that I plan on applying to my own life.
Sounds like an interesting book. We can all learn a lot from failing. I like the idea about creating systems and achieving small steps. I often break things into smaller parts because it’s easier to get through a massive project. It makes it more manageable and when you complete one part you feel good. This feeling of success can help drive you through the harder parts.
ReplyDeleteHey Jack,
ReplyDeleteI read the same book from the reading list as well. How to Fail At Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams provides readers with a lesson about failure that it is something crucial in the quest of growth. Aside from that, we are taught that it is imperative to keep a proper mindset when going about our goals.
Hey Jack,
ReplyDeleteI also read this book and thought it was very helpful in explaining a winner's mindset. I feel like the exercise you mentioned in your post would also be very beneficial because like it says in the book it's important to know your goals and be able to make decisions to reach them. I feel like the little changes we can make in our attitudes can make the difference between a failure and success.