Get the Result or the Lesson
Remove the failure label and turn every outcome into usable feedback.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 98%
Treat failure as a removable label rather than an inherent property of an event. Begin by separating observable facts from the opinions, emotions, and identity judgments attached to them. Compare what happened with what you wanted, then ask what the result reveals about your assumptions, preparation, offer, execution, or capabilities. Under this model, an attempt produces either the desired result or information required for the next attempt. The mechanism replaces avoidance and self-condemnation with observation, learning, and applied action. Repeated use builds resilience because setbacks stop proving that the person is inadequate and instead become feedback within an ongoing path toward the intended outcome.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show, where James Wedmore explains the failure reframe he repeatedly used while coaching Jasmine Star through difficult launches and business decisions.
Core principles
- 01Failure is a judgment, not an objective event.
- 02Every committed attempt produces either a desired result or a required lesson.
- 03Looking directly at disappointing results reveals what must change.
- 04Personal worth is separate from performance.
How to run it
- 1
Separate Facts from Labels
Write down only what objectively happened, excluding words such as failure, disaster, embarrassing, or hopeless. Distinguish the event from the meaning you assigned to it.
Pro tip Describe the event as if you were a neutral observer reporting numbers and actions.
Watch out Do not disguise an opinion as a fact.
- 2
Peel Off the Judgment
Identify every interpretation attached to the event, especially conclusions about your identity or future. Explicitly acknowledge that these are chosen meanings rather than the event itself.
Pro tip Watch for identity statements beginning with “I am.”
Watch out Calling yourself the failure collapses one result into a permanent identity.
- 3
Find the Required Lesson
Ask what the outcome shows that you did not previously understand. Look for gaps in assumptions, skills, timing, positioning, communication, or execution.
Pro tip Ask what you would change if you repeated the attempt tomorrow.
Watch out A lesson is not useful if it remains vague or purely motivational.
- 4
Apply the Learning
Convert the lesson into a specific change and make another informed attempt. The new action completes the learning cycle.
Pro tip Choose the smallest next experiment that can test the revised assumption.
Watch out Repeating the same approach without applying the lesson turns reflection into avoidance.
In the wild
Jasmine described calling James after a project performed badly and concluding that she had failed personally and professionally. James challenged the label and asked who she wanted to be at the end of the launch and which actions would create that identity. The conversation shifted her attention from self-condemnation to how she would respond.
→ The setback became a decision point for deliberate action rather than evidence that she was a failure.
Common mistakes
Turning an Event into an Identity
Saying “I am a failure” transforms a temporary outcome into a self-concept that influences future behavior and perception.
Using the Reframe to Avoid Accountability
Removing the failure label does not mean ignoring poor results; it requires examining the facts more directly and applying what they reveal.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for entrepreneurs, creators, and leaders recovering from visible setbacks or disappointing results.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for situations requiring immediate crisis containment before reflection and learning can begin.
From the transcript
“Failure is a label judgment or opinion that we place on an event or circumstance or situation or ourselves.”
“There's either getting what you want or learning what is required.”
“Leaders are those that have the ability to deal with what is without, without opinions and emotions and fears and doubts.”
From the episode
From Broke Bartender to 10 Million Dollar CEO: A Conversation with James Wedmore
James Wedmore