Jeffrey E Drivon

One of my lifelong goals is to fully grasp the essence of the books I read or listen to—to truly absorb what the author is trying to communicate. Too often, my mind drifts, and I lose focus. I falter, and then I must begin again.

In The Gift of Failure, Ari Rastegar encourages us to “fail early, fail often, and fail forward.” His message is clear: failure is not the end but a vital stepping stone toward growth and eventual success.

Even during my morning prayer and reflection, I strive to stay present—to go beyond surface thoughts and enter into deeper contemplation. Yet, distractions creep in. My focus slips, and with it comes the familiar sense of falling short. I aim to listen, to learn, to apply, and to remember. But inevitably, there are moments when I stumble. And so, I remind myself: tomorrow is a new opportunity to begin again.

Though I may not yet see the fruits of these small failures, I believe each one is part of a greater process, bringing me one step closer to the dream of truly retaining knowledge and using it in whatever way God intends.

Recently, I listened to an audiobook that profoundly impacted my view on success and personal growth—’The Gift of Failure.’ Intrigued and inspired, I plan to dive back into this audiobook to unpack its rich insights further. Why, you might ask? Because I’ve come to believe that embracing failure is not just beneficial; it’s essential for life.

What do I mean by that? It’s simple: failure teaches us. Every missed target, every oversight, and every forgotten task is an opportunity to learn and adapt. For instance, just the other day, I overlooked celebrating a significant achievement of my wife. This mistake reminded me of the importance of attentiveness—not just in personal matters but in broader aspects of life as well.

Professionally, I strive daily to meet set goals and timelines, yet I often fall short. Similarly, I had ambitiously planned to post daily updates on this blog since its inception. Have I succeeded? Not quite. The late nights often defeat my good intentions. But here’s where I find the silver lining—each failure is a clear signal that something needs to change.

My current focus is on refining several skills: writing, communication, web development, and vocabulary. I’m learning that effective goal setting isn’t just about ambition; it’s about setting up a realistic plan for success and adapting that plan based on experiences of what works and what doesn’t.

I invite you to join me in this journey of growth through failure. Let’s learn to celebrate our mishaps just as much as our triumphs, for it is through our failures that we sculpt a more successful, resilient self.

In Robin Sharma’s “The 5 a.m. Club,” we learn that forming a new habit typically takes 66 days. Today marks day 87 of my own journey. With determination, I began with foundational habits: prayer, meditation, exercise, and reading. Initially, everything progressed smoothly, but an unfortunate bout with allergies disrupted my exercise routine one week. Despite this, I continued listening to audiobooks, although I admit my focus on reading has room for improvement.

It’s important to clarify that I still make time for exercise and audiobooks after my prayer sessions. Yet, these activities haven’t been formalized into habits with consistent dedication. There are days my exercise routine is less than rigorous, and I haven’t yet carved out specific times for focused, in-depth reading.

The book emphasizes the importance of adopting one habit at a time—an approach that has been enlightening for me. I prioritized prayer and meditation, and I’m proud to say that after 87 days, I’ve established a dedicated prayer time. This new routine has not only supported my participation in the Lenten season but also deepened my understanding of others’ lives and stories.

Looking ahead, my next challenge over the coming 66 days is to integrate a Beachbody on Demand exercise program into my daily routine. Balancing this commitment with the demands of parenting a young child will be tricky, but I have multiple motivations: I’m currently bordering on pre-obesity, I aim to support my wife’s health journey, I want to prove to myself that I can start and complete this program, and I am eager to adopt a healthier eating lifestyle.

Stay tuned as I embark on these adventures and share my progress and insights along the way!