Most people chase success by trying to avoid mistakes, but the fear of failing often becomes the biggest roadblock to growth. While many advice columns focus on achievements and confidence, entrepreneur and author Ankur Warikoo takes a different approach. He suggests that the key to building resilience and rewiring the brain lies not in escaping failure, but in facing it deliberately through small, everyday challenges.
In a recent LinkedIn post, he explained that people spend too much time trying to avoid failure, while the real strength lies in learning how to face it repeatedly.
Practicing Failure As a Daily Habit
According to Warikoo, failure should not be treated as something unusual or catastrophic. Instead, he described it as a muscle that can be trained. Just as the body grows stronger through exercise, the mind becomes more resilient when exposed to small failures regularly. He suggested incorporating intentional challenges into daily life—simple acts that may not work out but carry little risk.
Examples he listed included sending a cold email without worrying about rejection, smiling at a stranger even if the gesture goes unnoticed, singing or dancing in public despite discomfort, volunteering for a demanding project, or signing up for a public speaking session despite nervousness. Each of these activities, he argued, helps strengthen what he calls the “failure muscle.”
Why This Works
Warikoo pointed out that failure cannot be avoided completely. Even the most successful individuals have faced setbacks, but their ability to recover quickly made the difference. By practicing small failures daily, individuals train themselves to respond calmly when larger challenges appear. This process, he noted, builds emotional resilience and reduces the fear that often stops people from taking risks.
The idea is not to deliberately seek major failures but to expose oneself to situations where the outcome is uncertain and the consequences are minor. Over time, this develops confidence and the ability to navigate bigger hurdles with ease.
In his post, Warikoo highlighted that people cannot control whether they fail, but they can control how they respond afterward. Preparing for the “what next” is what separates progress from stagnation. By embracing discomfort and uncertainty in everyday life, he believes individuals set themselves up for greater achievements in the long run.
In a recent LinkedIn post, he explained that people spend too much time trying to avoid failure, while the real strength lies in learning how to face it repeatedly.
Practicing Failure As a Daily Habit
According to Warikoo, failure should not be treated as something unusual or catastrophic. Instead, he described it as a muscle that can be trained. Just as the body grows stronger through exercise, the mind becomes more resilient when exposed to small failures regularly. He suggested incorporating intentional challenges into daily life—simple acts that may not work out but carry little risk.
Examples he listed included sending a cold email without worrying about rejection, smiling at a stranger even if the gesture goes unnoticed, singing or dancing in public despite discomfort, volunteering for a demanding project, or signing up for a public speaking session despite nervousness. Each of these activities, he argued, helps strengthen what he calls the “failure muscle.”
Why This Works
Warikoo pointed out that failure cannot be avoided completely. Even the most successful individuals have faced setbacks, but their ability to recover quickly made the difference. By practicing small failures daily, individuals train themselves to respond calmly when larger challenges appear. This process, he noted, builds emotional resilience and reduces the fear that often stops people from taking risks.
The idea is not to deliberately seek major failures but to expose oneself to situations where the outcome is uncertain and the consequences are minor. Over time, this develops confidence and the ability to navigate bigger hurdles with ease.
In his post, Warikoo highlighted that people cannot control whether they fail, but they can control how they respond afterward. Preparing for the “what next” is what separates progress from stagnation. By embracing discomfort and uncertainty in everyday life, he believes individuals set themselves up for greater achievements in the long run.
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