Failure: The Key to Success? Grit and resilience

Failure: The Key to Success? Grit and resilience

Mrs. talarico

How are you feeling today?

Failure

Failing is a part of life. In fact, it accounts for many, many successes – for without failing, success is almost impossible. Learning how to bounce back from failure is not always easy, but it is necessary. Enthusiasm for goal attainment is a necessary characteristic for success.

Learners can:

• understand that failure is not something to fear and in fact often a necessary step on the path to success.

"The road to success is paved with failure"

Grit or resilience

RESILIENCE (Recovery)

Building Mental ToughnessThe Science of Sustained Effort and Recovery

GRIT (Perseverance)

In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities... are simply fixed traits. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Fixed Belief "I'm bad at this. I quit." Growth Belief "I can't do this *yet*. What can I try next?"

The Foundation: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Can you name Game

Can you name a famous person who was defeated seven times while running for political office?

Can you name a cartoonish who was told by the editor of the Kansas City newspaper, "It's easy to see from these sketches that you have no talent"?

Can you name an author whose first children's book was rejected by 23 different publishers?

Can you name a famous singer who was fired after his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry?

Can you name a famous actress who dropped out of high school and held a variety of odd jobs, including doing the hair and make-up for corpses, before finally succeeding in show business?

Can you name Game

Can you name a famous author who lived on welfare for years in an apartment infested with mice?

Can you name a famous athlete who was cut from the varsity basketball team his sophomore year of high school?

Can you name an inventor who was thrown out of school in the early grades because his teachers thought he couldn't learn?

Can you name a famous Harvard University drop out?

Can you name an inventor of a fried chicken recipe that was rejected by more than 100 restaurant owners?

Think About it...

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." – Thomas Edison

The 4 R's of Resilience: The Bounce-Back Toolkit

Relax

Reflect

Engage a healthy coping strategy. (**First response!** Manage the emotion.)

What exactly went wrong? (Separate the outcome from your identity.)

Reframe

Reach out

Is there another way to see the situation? (Find the lesson.)

Seek support or advice. (Don't suffer alone.)

Activity: Using Resilience to Protect Your Grit Goal

Plan A: Reflect & Reframe *TASK: Anticipate your biggest setback (e.g., losing motivation). Write down a positive reframe (e.g., "This dip proves I need a rest, not that I'm a failure."). Plan B: Relax & Reach Out *TASK: Name your immediate coping tool (e.g., 5 minutes of deep breathing) and the specific person you will ask for help.

Activity: The Language Audit

Let's turn fixed thoughts into growth-oriented actions! We audit the language we use every day to see how we fuel ourselves. Example Fixed Thought "I failed that presentation." Example Growth Reframe "That failure is feedback. It's essential information on how to prepare better next time." Facilitation Tip: Focus on the word "yet"

Resiliency

Watch the video and think of 2 key points that you can take away from this motivational speech about the power of resiiency.

Reflection

Strategies for dealing with failure

Learn from Mistakes

Acknowledge and Accept

Stay Positive

Seek Support

Set Realistic Goals

Practice Resilience

TOP LEVEL (The WHY) Life Philosophy / Core Value MID-LEVEL (The 3+ Year Commitment) Grit Goal LOW-LEVEL (The Action) Daily/Weekly Tasks (Consistency)

The Grit Hierarchy: Aligning Effort with Purpose

Info

Reflect

Final Challenge:

Write down ONE THING you will change in the next 24 hours to use one of your new tools

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison was the inventor who was kicked out of school. Following this, he was homeschooled by his mother. It took him over 700 tries before he got the filament right for the light bulb. Edison is quoted as saying: “I have not failed seven hundred times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those seven hundred ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

🔝 TOP LEVEL: Life Philosophy / Core Value (The WHY) Definition: This is the guiding belief or value that gives meaning to everything you do. It’s your personal “why.” Examples: “I want to help others.” “I believe in always doing my best.” “I value creativity and self-expression.” Lesson Activity: Have students reflect on what matters most to them. Use sentence starters like: “I care deeply about…” or “I feel proud when…”

🔄 MID-LEVEL: Grit Goal (The 3+ Year Commitment) Definition: A long-term goal that requires sustained effort and perseverance. It’s challenging, meaningful, and aligned with your core value. Examples: “I want to become a teacher because I love helping others learn.” “I want to write a book because I value creativity.” “I want to graduate high school and go to college.” Lesson Activity: Students identify a long-term goal and explain how it connects to their core value. Use a graphic organizer to map the connection between their WHY and their grit goal.

Reflection Questions for Students (Jot down your answers on a piece of paper or online journal) What is something you care deeply about? What is a big goal you want to achieve in the next few years? What small actions can you take this week to move closer to that goal?

Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard University. He went onto become the youngest millionaire (at the age of 26) and is the CEO of Facebook.

Practice Resilience

Build resilience by facing challenges head-on and developing coping strategies. This can make it easier to bounce back from setbacks.

Stay Positive

Focus on the positives and remind yourself of past successes. Keeping a positive mindset can help in overcoming the negative feelings associated with failure.

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, lived on welfare for years, in an apartment infested with mice, and was rejected by 12 publishers before going on to fame and fortune.

The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. It’s the ability to bounce back after falling. Analogy: The "Shock Absorbers" that help you handle the bumps

🔽 LOW-LEVEL: Daily/Weekly Tasks (Consistency) Definition: These are the small, consistent actions that move you toward your grit goal. They may seem minor, but they build momentum. Examples:“I read for 20 minutes every night.”“I ask for help when I don’t understand something.”“I write in my planner to stay organized.” Lesson Activity:Students list 3–5 daily or weekly habits that support their grit goal.Create a checklist or progress tracker to monitor consistency.

Walt Disney

Walt Disney was told he had no talent and fired from a newspaper job. He wound up doing volunteer work for a church in an old run down garage. One day he decided to sketch one of the many mice that were running through the garage. This mouse became the famous “Mickey Mouse.”

Sustained passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

It’s the marathon, not the sprint. Analogy: The "Engine" that keeps you moving forward.

Learn from Mistakes

Reflect on what went wrong and identify lessons that can be learned. This can help in avoiding similar mistakes in the future.

Seek Support

Talk to friends, family, or a mentor about your feelings. Sometimes, sharing your experiences can provide new perspectives and emotional support.

Acknowledge and Accept

Understand that failure is a part of life and everyone experiences it. Accepting it can be the first step towards moving forward.

🔄 MID-LEVEL: Grit Goal (The 3+ Year Commitment) Definition: A long-term goal that requires sustained effort and perseverance. It’s challenging, meaningful, and aligned with your core value. Examples: “I want to become a teacher because I love helping others learn.” “I want to write a book because I value creativity.” “I want to graduate high school and go to college.” Lesson Activity: Students identify a long-term goal and explain how it connects to their core value. Use a graphic organizer to map the connection between their WHY and their grit goal.

Set Realistic Goals

Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. This can make it easier to achieve success and reduce the fear of failure.

Dr. Seuss

Twenty-three different publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book, while the 24th accepted and sold 6 million copies of it.

Harland David Sanders AKA Colonel Sanders

Harland David Sanders (better known as Colonel Sanders) had his fried chicken recipe rejected by more than 1,000 restaurant owners before it was accepted by one. Today, people still eat it at KFCs across the world.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was the athlete who was cut from the varsity basketball team in his sophomore year of high school. Angry and embarrassed, he began to get up early each morning to practice with the junior varsity coach. Eventually he not only made the varsity team, but also became one of the most popular athletes in the world. Michael Jordan is quoted as saying, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was defeated in eight different elections. Yet he persisted and succeeded in becoming the 16th, and one of the most respected, presidents of the United States.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg dropped out of high school, was on welfare and worked as a bricklayer, bank teller, and licensed cosmetician. After graduating from Beauty College, she took a job at a mortuary fixing the hair of and applying make-up to the corpses.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was fired after his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry. The manager told him, “You ain’t going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck.” He went on to become one of the most famous American singers of the 20th century.

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