ASAD was feeling proud as he showed his test copies to his parents. He had scored the highest marks in all the tests during the first monthly tests of the new academic session.

The teachers’ remarks were encouraging and he wore a confident look on his face, totally opposite to the crestfallen one when he had got his last annual report card. Being one of the best in his class in mathematics, his annual result was a big disappointment for him and his parents.

Asad was one of those students who are not deterred by failure. He was inspired by the famous quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Instead of losing confidence, he sat down to list the reasons why he had failed to achieve the grades which were so usual for him. He realised that his overconfidence had let him down as he had not worked hard enough for the mathematics exam.

After the paper, he had hurriedly submitted his answer copy, instead of rechecking it carefully. And most of his marks had been deducted because of careless mistakes. After carefully assessing the reasons for his poor performance, he resolved to make his failure the recipe for future success and this set him on the right path!

Often in our school life, we have to face such disappointments. These are the years when we are preparing ourselves for the future. A positive approach makes a drastic difference in what our personality and career will be once we finish education. The manner in which we react to failures and chalk out our future plans to overcome them, prove to be stepping stones which lead us to a successful practical life we have to enter after our student years are over.

Friends, failure does not mean that we cannot succeed at all. Often we have to accept failure as a challenge and make it a recipe for success.

Here are some tips which may help you to attain your goals and lead you to the road to success.

A positive approach

Instead of losing confidence and giving up if you cannot achieve the grades you had set your heart upon, try to ponder upon the reasons of your failure. Resolve to overcome these shortcomings. Hard work, patience and a positive frame of mind almost always lead to the road to success. There may be difficulties in the beginning but with endurance and dedication, they will ease out with time.

Practice for perfection

At times you may feel that you know everything that has been taught in class. Even then, do not stop revising. Soon you will realise that there are some fields in which you can improve your grades. Practise your math exercises daily. For other subjects, writing down answers to questions you think you have learnt, will make you identify and overcome the small mistakes that you make.

Seek help when needed

Never hesitate to seek help if you feel you require it. In school, if you do not understand a lesson your teacher is explaining; do not feel shy to speak out! If something is not clear to you, you must know that it is your right to request your teacher to clarify it again! And if some of you are slower than your peers in picking up a new lesson, you should not feel ashamed about it. Often teachers give extra time to such students after school or during recess, so that the rest of the class does not slow down. If the problem persists, you can discuss with your parents, your siblings or get a tutor to help you out.

Set a timetable

Always make a timetable in which you expect yourself to finish a certain lesson. This will keep you more organised in doing your homework and preparing for your tests. And be sure to follow the routine you have set for yourself.

But the rule is to plan practically and not to be too harsh on yourself. A timetable which you can follow steadily will always bring better results.

Aim high!

Set goals for yourself and keep on moving towards them with dedication and hard work. If at times you cannot attain a goal within the time you gave yourself to achieve it, do not be disheartened. Be realistic in your approach. Maybe you are pushing yourself too hard. Readjust your priorities and try to find out where and how you went wrong.

Long hours of study after school will slow you down after some days because we all need some time to relax! Once you are back from school, be sure to create a good balance between work, play and rest.

Friends, there are times in life when we come across new opportunities and options. Our attitude towards success and failure determines whether we will take these opportunities or cringe away from them. The fear of failing often hampers our journey on the road to success, and unless we realise that when we resolve firmly and plunge into something with determination, no amount of failures will keep us away from attaining our goal.

To achieve success, you have to keep in mind the prospect of failure. Even if you fail in the beginning, you will learn more about your strengths and talents, in this way be better prepared for the next challenge.

It is very important that you create a balance between overconfidence and doubts! Knowing your strong points and working on your weaknesses, plus a firm belief that you can overcome your shortcomings, will go a far way to lead you towards success in life!

In the end I would like to quote the American author, H. Stanley Judd when he so wisely says, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It’s okay to fail. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing!”