When Frustration Turns Into Motivation

As a young aspiring athlete, I’m learning that success isn’t about getting everything right the first time. Sometimes when I can’t figure something out, I get frustrated, annoyed and lose momentum. I might even feel like giving up.

I think of it like Person A and Person B racing through a maze. Person A tries one route, reaches a dead end and gives up. Person B reaches dead ends too, but keeps going back and trying different routes until Person B finds the finish line and wins while Person A is still at the start.

A wrong turn doesn’t mean the journey is over.

A great example is LeBron James. He has made 15,961 field goals and missed 15,541. Compare that to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who made 15,837 field goals and missed 12,470. LeBron missed thousands more shots, but he kept shooting and eventually passed Kareem.

That reminds me that success isn’t about never missing. It’s about having the courage to keep trying after you miss.

I also like to think of FAIL as:

F - First

A - Attempt

I - In

L - Learning

Then comes my never-give-up motivation moment. Something switches in my mind and I think:

I haven’t failed. I just haven’t found the right way yet.

Whether it’s in my education, on the track or in life, I’m learning to keep trying different routes until I find my finish line.

Because I can’t win the race if I stop running.