Failure: Do You Lift?
Failure: the omission of expected or required action.
We’ve all heard the phrase: “Failure is not an option.”
It conjures up images of a gritty 1980s war film—sweat, mud, and a drill sergeant barking orders at wide-eyed recruits. Somewhere between the insults hurled at their mothers and their haircuts, he bellows, “Gentlemen—failure is not an option!”
That mindset can easily become a thread that runs through our own lives.
Failure, when it shows up, often brings shame, regret, and frustration. It’s that inner drill sergeant who yells at us every time our peers, family, or coworkers witness our shortfalls.
Even when others extend grace, our inner critic is louder.
The fact that “You are your own worst critic”, becomes all too real in moments of failure.
As a professional coach, I see this daily.
Performance is constantly measured—minute by minute. High expectations press down on the lives of those I work with. Schedule, cost, risk, and job requirements hang over their heads like weights.
The fear of failure becomes so palpable, I’ve seen people act as if their very lives were on the line. That pressure doesn’t just stay inside—it spills over. Their coworkers often absorb the emotional fallout of this internal war.
But what if we reframed failure?
What if we learned to properly define it?
Because let’s be clear:
A crane dropping a load or the brakes of a 16-wheeler giving out on the freeway—that’s one kind of failure.
But poor communication? A missed deadline? An awkward meeting?
That’s a different kind entirely.
Yet for to many of us, the internal drill sergeant screams just as loud.
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Let’s take a lesson from the gym.
When someone lifts weights, their muscles engage. They push until their muscles fail. In fact, failure is the goal. Trainers say to keep going “to failure”—to the point where you can’t lift anymore.
Why? Because when muscles fail and break down, they rebuild stronger.
The damage is what makes them grow.
If this is true of our bodies, why can’t we frame certain life failures the same way?
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Next time you or a coworker is wrestling with failure, embarrassment, or shame, try saying:
“Do you lift, bro?”
Or maybe:
“How’s the gym?”
It’s a humorous way to shift perspective—but it makes a powerful point.
Failure is a growth model, not a shame model.
It’s not the end—it’s the rep that breaks down the weakness so strength can be built.
Whether it’s leadership, communication, project management, or just being human—failure is part of the weight room. And every failed rep is a chance to build resilience, insight, and strength.
So the next time the inner drill sergeant gets loud, remind him:
These failures?
They’re just today’s workout.
They’re building strength for tomorrow.
So… do you lift?