A Successful Failure

"And in real life endings aren't always neat, whether they're happy endings, or whether they're sad endings"  -Stephen King

Indeed, things never end like we expect them to. Our expectations for what we think we can achieve are always much grander than what we actually do achieve. We never seem to consider the logistics of something: the time, energy, and dedication that is required to achieve our goals. In that sense, we always fall a little short. We never make it to the finish line.

In my case, the goal of reading a book from as many genres as possible was extremely vague. There was no number of books that was set in stone. No finish line in sight. Simply as many books as possible. In the end, I decided whether I acheived my goal or not. I read four books. Four different genres, two of which I have been exposed to often.

In my opinion, I didn't accomplish my goal.

If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, now how it affects you"  -William J. Clinton

I didn't read as many books as possible. Instead of reading I was watching TV, and instead of picking up a book I was picking up my phone. I made mistakes. I probably didn't spend as much time on this project as I should have. Maybe if I was more strict on my schedule, and I dedicated more time out of my day towards reading I would have accomplised more. In fact, I usually only read for 15 minutes during SSR (silent sustained reading) and for an hour during the day of 20-time.

About halfway through the project I realized that I had a problem. I didn't have any balance in my schedule. I simply wasn't devoting enough time to important things like friends, family, and, of course, reading. I was stuck in a nasty spiral of homework and technology. I tried to change this pattern. For one week I read my book before going to bed, rather than going on my phone. I found that it was a great alternative because it helped relax me and prepare me for sleep. This is because blue light, which is emitted from the screens of devices such as smart phones, tablets, laptops, and e-readers, can disrupt your sleep pattern and lead to insomnia (check out this Forbes article to learn more about the study).

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps"
-Confucius

So...I only read four books. I didn't accomplish my goal.

But...I didn't fail.

This whole project isn't about success, nor is it about reaching the goal you set for yourself. It's about making mistakes and failing, but getting back up and continuing on. It's less about the final project and more about the process. I read some good books, was introduced to new genres, and even learned how to get better sleep...all in one project! I failed...so what? I learned along the way.

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default"  -J.K. Rowling