Many years ago when I was an accounting student, I bought and read a mysterious little book titled “How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life” by Alan Lakein (1). I remember it was an immensely practical book despite its small size, and whose ramifications were wide.
The philosophy I found in the last chapter, though, was the cream of it and caused an impact on me. It's funny that, through the years since, from time to time, I pull that little book from the shelf and re-read the last chapter intriguingly titled “Do Your Best and Consider It a Success”.
Sometimes I realise I have been growing up with it. It's probably not the book that is causing it but only that I think that way and so tend to move in the direction predicted there.
Lakein encourages people to strive for whatever they really believe in despite their pre-concepts such as thinking that they would not be able to achieve it. Every time you try something that is important for you “you are building bridges that will eventually take you closer to where you really want to be,” he says.
Some people, instead, he says “use up valuable time by endlessly weighing pros and cons for fear of taking a wrong step.” Lakein then states that mistakes have the purpose of directing us to where we must to go and teaching us to save time.
As Lakein says, “don't be discouraged by “mistakes”. Trial and error is part of being human.” He then adds: “I like to call this process “trial and success””.
He then gives us this “extraordinary personal history of failure:
“Lost job, 1832; defeated for legislature, 1832; failed in business, 1833; elected to legislature, 1834; sweetheart died, 1835; had nervous breakdown, 1836; defeated for Speaker, 1838; defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843; elected to Congress, 1846; lost renomination, 1848; rejected for land officer, 1849; defeated for Senate, 1854; defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856; again defeated for Senate, 1858; but in 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States.”
Lakein says that, when you fail, that happens because “under the circumstances”, you could not have done better, even if you wished.
“So”, says Lakein, “don't let failure stop you from trying. Don't waste time worrying about what went “wrong.” You can learn something from every experience.”
He then states this: “remember: you're older and wiser than the last time you dealt with a similar situation, even if it was only fifteen minutes ago.”
