I can see clearly now and although things do not know always work out exactly the way I plan every situation has its purpose. Failure has a place in the history of my journey because it’s a turning point to know what to do differently the next time. I almost had the position of my dreams until I discovered it was not a good fit for my personality. Every thing that glitters is not always golden and unwritten rules are never within a job description. Sometimes you have to fall flat on your face after taking a risk to know where you stand in addressing your weaknesses. Life is a school of hard knock lessons where you don’t graduate to your full potential by living in your comfort zone. Many of the most successful people tell stories where almost does count because it exposes in hindsight how to better prepare for overcoming adversity.

I have learned in many ways why almost does count and let’s discuss some of the top reasons why.

1. “Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.” Brian Tracy

Making almost any decision is unpredictable in terms of what’s on the other side of your choices but living with regret is far worse than doing nothing at all. I have made great and questionable choices where the outcomes are not exactly picture perfect. However, in the end these choices have often led to career growth.

2. “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.” Colin Powell

Leadership is about being flexible and adaptable to change. As a leader, I have learned that almost every time I hit a brick wall in moving forward the answer starts with simplifying things. You must offer inclusive solutions to continuously make your team successfully productive.

3. “Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.” Norman Ralph Augustine

The ride to success is full of bumps in the road especially when you are almost there to your desired goals. It is important to be a source of motivation to yourself especially when being merely talented does not guarantee immediate success all of the time.

4. “Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. Count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll.” Author Unknown

Let’s be honest it can be challenging to recognize your accomplishments if you only focus on your failures. Beautiful flowers bloom because of daily nourishment, which includes watering and attentively removing dead leaves. You can almost forget the beauty of who you are now by focusing on the parts of yourself that you must leave behind to evolve.

5. We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” Maya Angelou

It is almost easy to forget about the metamorphosis a butterfly goes through to achieve its beauty. Throughout a career, this can include constant professional development training and personal coaching. This often takes very quiet years from the spotlight although once a person begins to shine it can appear like an overnight success story.

I almost did not write this article because I thought maybe this is not a hot topic to discuss. However, I can only gain insight on discovering if almost does count by posing the question.