I failed to post this yesterday, which is when I usually publish such posts.

Over the past nine years as a freelance direct response copywriter, I’ve failed.

A lot.

I don’t talk about my failures much.

But they’re there. And to be honest, they’ve been the best teachers.

Who knows where I’d be today without my failures?

Who knows how long it would have taken me to learn these key lessons:

• How to figure out which clients are a good fit for me
• Understanding why an agreement is necessary and what’s non-negotiable
• How to know exactly how much time it takes to write a long sales page
• Learning to confidently quote a project
• Realizing that meetings need an agenda
• Why it’s important to know the value of my time and the worth of my skills
• Why it’s crucial to always trust my instincts

There are many people who look at entrepreneurs and secretly wish they could have what they have.

But what do entrepreneurs have?

On the surface, it looks like they have freedom. Autonomy. Creative license. And not having to answer to a boss. In other words: Success.

But if you ask any entrepreneur, they’ll tell you the road toward any level of success has been paved with many failures.

Like… choosing the wrong market or partner. Not checking in with key players before rolling out a new initiative. Failing to understand their audience. Not giving their target market what they really want. Sub-standard products. Weak or inefficient processes and systems.

The list could go on.

This is in addition to not receiving support from loved ones and friends. Throw in some inconvenient life events and it can all add up to one whopping pot of Failure Stew.

It is very tempting to soak in that stew. To think there’s no way you’ll escape it.

But you’d be wrong.

John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach for the University of California, said: “Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.”

Whenever you experience failure, you are given a choice.

You can choose to allow your failures to define you and impede your progress.

Or… you can choose to allow your failures to teach you and increase your progress.

The choice is yours.

Thomas Edison, the great inventor, said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

He conducted a lot of experiments and as you might imagine, experienced a lot of failures.

But he didn’t allow those failures to keep him from trying again. And again. And again.

Edison also said this: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

So don’t give up because something didn’t work the way you hoped it would. Ask yourself what it taught you and then go out there and give it another shot. Success awaits.