Why Learning to Fall Matters More Than Getting It Right

I studied for more than 18 years, across three different countries. The one class I never had in formal education was how to learn to fall. Not physically, but emotionally and professionally.

The truth is, in life, we will fall. And yet, no one taught us how to do it.

I learned many useful skills. Discipline. Commitment. How to pursue success. How to invest in myself. I learned how to meet deadlines, perform under pressure, follow structure, and aim for results. All of these were rewarded.

What wasn’t rewarded was falling.

I remember my first skating lesson in Canada clearly. The instructor spent a reasonable amount of time teaching us how to fall correctly. He carefully explained how to protect the body and avoid unnecessary injury.

My niece recently took her first surf class, and again, one of the first lessons was how to fall safely.

I also watched a video of my nephew during a judo belt promotion and asked my sister about it. She explained that in judo, learning how to fall is fundamental. From the very beginning, students practice falling techniques, because knowing how to fall safely is essential to progress.

In life, we are rarely taught that.

Without learning how to fall, we live with the illusion that things should go as planned. That may explain why rejection, mistakes, and unexpected outcomes hit us so hard. We never built the skill of falling.

Mistakes were not welcomed where I was educated. They meant lower grades and negative consequences.

But we are no longer at school.

In adult life, mistakes happen.

• You say something you wish you hadn’t.

• You miss a risk you didn’t see coming.

• You stay too long in a place where you no longer fit.

• You make the best decision you can at the time, and still need to adjust later.

Learning how to fall is a practice. A muscle you build over time.

I invite you to explore it.

I resonate deeply with the agile mindset: experiment fast, learn fast, adapt continuously.

Knowing how to fall prepares you to recover faster, respond with more clarity, and keep moving with less fear.

I also love this reframe: either I succeed, or I learn. There is no failure in that equation. If it helps, you can try it too.

Your turn:

• What would it look like to practice falling more consciously this week, and to treat what follows as learning, not failure?