1) Tell us about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class, or outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times this semester, and failed each time.
A time I failed this semester was trying to learn how to swim. Like many of you I grew up and learned how to doggy paddle, but never really learned how to swim. I was training for my first triathlon and had to be able to swim about half a mile. My first day in the pool I could barely make it 25 meters. My stroke was off, I sucked more water than air in with each gasp. I felt like I ran a mile after swimming 50 meters. This trend of failure continued for almost a month and a half. Eventually my water confidence rose and I swam a continuous 50m. A week later I swam 100m. Two weeks later I hit 500m. Two weeks before my triathlon I swam a continuous half mile. I was so happy that a little less than 4 months ago I could barely do 25m and now I was swimming 1000m like it was nothing.
A time I failed this semester was trying to learn how to swim. Like many of you I grew up and learned how to doggy paddle, but never really learned how to swim. I was training for my first triathlon and had to be able to swim about half a mile. My first day in the pool I could barely make it 25 meters. My stroke was off, I sucked more water than air in with each gasp. I felt like I ran a mile after swimming 50 meters. This trend of failure continued for almost a month and a half. Eventually my water confidence rose and I swam a continuous 50m. A week later I swam 100m. Two weeks later I hit 500m. Two weeks before my triathlon I swam a continuous half mile. I was so happy that a little less than 4 months ago I could barely do 25m and now I was swimming 1000m like it was nothing.
2) Tell us what you learned from it.
I would consider myself as an athletic body type and continue to play sports like rugby, but i had never trained to swim. I learned that if you do not consistently practice a skill then it will not develop. Further, I learned that perseverance can be the key factor in anything you do to succeed. Finally, the key to anything is belief. I willed myself to accomplish the goal.
I would consider myself as an athletic body type and continue to play sports like rugby, but i had never trained to swim. I learned that if you do not consistently practice a skill then it will not develop. Further, I learned that perseverance can be the key factor in anything you do to succeed. Finally, the key to anything is belief. I willed myself to accomplish the goal.
3) Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally). Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure -- are you more likely to take a risk now than you were four months ago?
Failure just motivates me. Sometimes I am a little to cautious because I want to be the best at everything I do and I do not want others to see my weaknesses. Sometimes you have to put yourself out there, take a risk and hope for the best along with some hard work. I would be more inclined to take risks after the past four months since I faced one of my slight fears, the water. The class makes this obvious in that failure can come with anything you do, you just have to be determined to overcome it.
Me just coming out of the swim portion at the St. Anthony's triathlon.
Failure just motivates me. Sometimes I am a little to cautious because I want to be the best at everything I do and I do not want others to see my weaknesses. Sometimes you have to put yourself out there, take a risk and hope for the best along with some hard work. I would be more inclined to take risks after the past four months since I faced one of my slight fears, the water. The class makes this obvious in that failure can come with anything you do, you just have to be determined to overcome it.
Me just coming out of the swim portion at the St. Anthony's triathlon.
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