Many of us know the crushing disappointment of a missed shot. You aim your arrow at the bullseye, your goal, but despite your best efforts, you seat your arrow somewhere else. The key, however, is in understanding that every arrow you loose gets you one step closer to that bullseye, even if it doesn't always seem that way.

Any archer can tell you that you're not going to hit that bull's eye on your first try or even the tenth. Yet, as humans, we are surprisingly resistant to the very thought of failure, so we don't even bother trying. We're so afraid of missing the target that we never shoot the arrow at all. But the cold truth is, if we don't shoot, we're guaranteed to miss the target. That's true failure.

I've built upon this knowledge throughout my journey with Success Insider. It's formed the central axis of the work that countless individuals and I have embarked upon through the LMA, Life Mastery Achievements, course. Today, I want to share this insight with you and show you that, shockingly, true failure doesn't lie in missing your shot but in never attempting at all.

Take the case of successful author J.K. Rowling, for instance. Here's someone who faced rejection from a dozen publishers over a span of seven years yet kept pushing through. Why? Because she understood that her only real failure would have been if she had stopped sending manuscript of Harry Potter out for review, if she had simply given up.

Can you imagine the loss to the world of literature, the children who would never have been introduced to the magic of Hogwarts, and a generation who grew up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, had Rowling let the fear of failure overpower her? This isn't just a story; it's a stark illustration that even when things seem bleak, it's persistence that pays.

But how do we get to the point where we persist and keep aiming for that bulls-eye, even when each missed shot brings pain? It begins with self-belief, a deep conviction in ourselves.

Ask yourself: Do you believe that you're capable? Do you trust that even if you haven’t hit the mark yet, you eventually will? Nothing happens overnight; every journey begins with a single step. Self-confidence isn't about never doubting or questioning yourself; it's about having the perseverance to keep going, despite the stumbling blocks along the way.

Moreover, equipping yourself with a clear vision enhances your ability to hit your target. Every time you take a shot and it doesn't hit the bullseye, ask yourself: What did I learn? How can I adjust my aim? Expanding your capacity for adaptation is the difference between hitting the hay and hitting the mark.

The truth is, there will be bumps, there will be failures, and there will certainly be times when you question your capabilities. But let's use these missed shots as stepping stones, learning from them, and using their lessons to guide future attempts.

Every arrow you loose is a representation of your courage, a tangible testament to your willingness to keep trying. Each shot is a result of your capacity to learn, to adapt and to grow. Please remember, every “failure”, every arrow that drops far away from your intended target, builds the strength you need to eventually hit that bullseye.

And one day, after all the misfires, near misses, and rerouting, you'll draw your bow, release the string, and watch as your arrow soars, straight and true, right into the heart of the bullseye. Remember then, as you bask in your success, it's your journey, your courage, your resilience, and your unyielding self-belief that paid off.

So, here's my advice to you. No, it's not an instruction to aim and shoot perfectly. Instead, it's simpler. Show up, pull the bowstring back, and do your best with each shot. Unleash your potential and keep trying, because the only true failure is never getting started at all.