I recently wrote a feature for PRmoment magazine about PR professionals’ biggest failures https://www.prmoment.com/my-biggest-failure-and-how-it-helped-my-pr-career. This is supposed to be an uplifting feature about what you can learn from failure. As I collected the list of PRs’ disasters, it wasn’t easy to hold on to my own self esteem. Because nearly each and every one of their failures I had also experienced – but on a larger scale.

So here is a list of my biggest failures and the lessons I am trying to learn from them. ‘Trying’ being the operative word.

Failing my driving test

In the feature, two PRs describe how they failed their tests twice. Twice? I failed mine three times. My lessons? This taught me to keep on trying, even at things I am not good at, and that ultimately, driving is probably not for me.

Taking the wrong job

I have done this twice. I worked at a leaflet distribution company (watch The Office for an idea of the culture) and also at a large accountancy firm where working 12 hours a day was the norm. I will never get that time back, but at least I got out of both jobs within a year.

Failing my maths A level

I still have dreams I am retaking this exam, and in every dream I still haven’t done enough work. Do the damn work! Stop procrastinating! Those are lessons I am still working on.

Failing to speak up

I once worked for an insurance company where one of my team members was being bullied by all the others. I did nothing about it. I hope, should I ever be in this situation again, that I am brave enough to report the bullying and certainly do not collude with it.

Terrible typos

I must learn to check, recheck and triple check . The problem is those little mistakes are so easy to mess (that typo was intentional for comic effect. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes, manic laughter is always a good reaction when things go wrong).

Wardrobe malfunction

I once turned up to an awards function with muddy trainers on, and my ‘posh’ shoes in a bag to replace them with. Except my posh shoes were both for my left foot… see above failure about checking details.

The biggest lesson I have learnt from all my messing up above? That I bloody hate failing! I pray that one day I will be so perfect that everyone will hate me even more than they do already. After all, who loves a show off?