Secret to Farming Success: The Opportunity to Fail

The American culture seems obsessed with failure, and people are generally terrified with the concept. You probably know a few—individuals and conglomerates alike—who spend a fortune just to avoid the possibility of failure at all costs. Some people are afraid of failing so much that they end up not accomplishing anything. Clearly, the idea of failure can be incapacitating.

Here’s one thing that you need to learn early on before you venture into farming (or any type of business, for that matter): Failure is a big possibility. In fact, you can list failure among the only certain things in life, along with death and taxes. The most important thing for you to learn, though, is that it’s okay to fail—at first. Actually, it’s imperative to your business growth that you fail at some point.

Even though it can be a blow to your ego, your confidence, and your wallet, failure can be an enormously helpful tool. It can help you learn your personal limits. It can teach you how to become efficient in the long run, letting you know which processes work well and which ones are simply a complete waste of time. Failure offers a better perspective, making you stronger and more resilient.

The trick to making failure work for you? Fail well. Fail thoughtfully and graciously. That’s the only way to recognize success when it arrives.