We've all heard the advice, "fail forward" and "it's more important to celebrate failure than to celebrate success." We hear these sayings so often that it's easy to dismiss them, but it's important to stop and reflect on the reality behind them.

In the pursuit of wins and success, setbacks are inevitable. After all, there is no chance of winning without the possibility of losing. The path to victory is necessarily obscured by challenges, resistance, competition, and other barriers that work to keep you from achieving your goals. 

To avoid pitfalls and losses, we often play not to lose. Rather than viewing losses as failures, we must reframe them as the valuable lessons they are. These lessons propel you forward on your journey. When we find this healthier perspective, we also find energy in the possibility of defeat, because it becomes a clear signal that we are on the path to victory.