Fail Forward: How Mental Resilience Paves the Way for Future Success

The idea of achieving success without failure sounds undeniably appealing, but it is also undeniably unrealistic. Many envision their journey toward success as a smooth-sailing path free from obstacles, until setbacks inevitably kick in. Failure, indeed, is a part of our lives, often taking center stage while success plays a fleeting, albeit rewarding role. 

Yet, many young people nowadays dread failure and try to avoid it at all costs. In doing so, they miss out on the opportunity to build mental resilience, a vital skill for overcoming challenges and achieving lasting success.

To address this fear of failure and foster mental resilience, Lucia Loposova, FSI’s Education Manager and Teaching Assistant of the award-winning Impact Lab Course, led the Developing a Resilient Mindset for Success workshop on 17 February 2025 at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). 

During the workshop, Lucia shed light on the crucial role of failure in achieving success and how to overcome the fear of setbacks and build resilience using journaling exercises, the PERMA+ model, and mindfulness techniques. With 12 enthusiastic Impact Lab students eager to learn, grow, and connect through interactive discussions and reflection exercises, the event was a resounding success.

The workshop kicked off with a discussion on alarming mental health trends in Hong Kong, particularly the decline in well-being among university students following the COVID-19 pandemic. Lucia emphasized the detrimental impact of social isolation brought about by the pandemic and fake news on social media, leading to mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and impostor syndrome. 

“Impostor syndrome is nasty. It makes me feel like I’ll never measure up, no matter what I have achieved, because deep down, it all feels fake.” 

Hsu Latt Shwe Yi, an FSI intern, shared her experience with imposter syndrome, “Impostor syndrome is nasty. It makes me feel like I’ll never measure up, no matter what I have achieved, because deep down, it all feels fake.” 

In addition, one student admitted, “I feel inadequate because social media sometimes portrays an unrealistic beauty standard.” Nicola Paragas, another FSI intern, further emphasized, “Most of what we see online highlights the good aspects of life, not the failures or bad times most of us go through. It makes us think everyone is living their best lives except us.” 

This discussion highlighted that while social media has many benefits, like connecting us, entertaining us, and providing a platform to share our life stories, it also comes with downsides that negatively affect our mental health such as the comparison culture. 

Before asking students about their experiences during COVID-19, Lucia shared that she found it to be a positive time: she valued the solitude it provided, as it allowed her space for reflection and personal growth. Agnese Aurora Bettini, an intern at FSI, echoed this sentiment, stating that her experience was also smooth: “Online classes were pretty convenient and cheaper since I didn’t have to commute to my university.”

However, not everyone had the same experience with the pandemic. “I’ve come to understand that, over time, it’s possible to suppress bad memories and allow new ones to take their place,” reflected Kabita K. Sahteli, another FSI intern. This realization struck her during the workshop when she noticed a discrepancy between her words and her true feelings.

When asked about her experience during COVID-19, she initially replied, “It wasn’t stressful. Classes were online, and I had just graduated secondary school.” However, her initial response overlooked the challenges she had faced. 

Later, as she worked on the worksheet, which asked all students to reflect on a challenging situation they faced and how it made them feel, it became clear to her that her time during the pandemic had indeed been stressful, filled with difficulties she had unconsciously pushed aside. Now, with time and new experiences, she realized she had forgotten many of those negative moments, allowing her to focus on the positives instead.

Afterward, Lucia delved deeper into the potent effects of failure on self-esteem and overall mental health. Sharing a personal story about the time she got unexpectedly fired on the spot, she highlighted the unpredictable nature of setbacks, and how she managed to bounce back by embracing these challenges rather than succumbing to self-doubt and fear of the next failure.

 “These exercises gave me plenty of food for thought as they made me reflect deeply on my own recovery from life’s hurdles. Thanks to these reflections, I feel more empowered and self-aware.”

Throughout the session, she cultivated a safe space for students to share their unique experiences with failure, facilitated by an interactive journaling exercise that encouraged them to reflect on a time they faced struggles and how they rebounded. After the workshop, Simay Yuksel, an intern at Seekr, remarked, “These exercises gave me plenty of food for thought as they made me reflect deeply on my own recovery from life’s hurdles. Thanks to these reflections, I feel more empowered and self-aware.”

At the heart of building resilience lies the cultivation of self-awareness, a theme that guided the workshop’s exploration of mindfulness practices. Towards the end of the session, the PERMA+ Model was introduced as a comprehensive framework designed to reduce stress and promote happiness through six key elements: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health(+). This model serves as a roadmap for individuals who aspire to build mental and emotional resilience by integrating these key elements into their day-to-day lives. 

To facilitate the application of the PERMA+ Model, Lucia shared a wealth of online resources, including guided mindfulness meditation videos, articles on happiness, strategies for boosting engagement in activities that result in a state of flow, and practical tools for effective goal setting.

“Mindful walking and meditation on the Sabbath days helped me escape my busy routine and reconnect with my inner self.”

To enrich the conversation about mindfulness, Hsu Latt Shwe Yi shared her experience with practising meditation, “During a summer school in Myanmar, monks taught me how to acknowledge racing thoughts instead of trying to control them. Though counterintuitive, this practice gradually brought me peace.” Lucia echoed this sentiment by adding, “Mindful walking and meditation on the Sabbath days helped me escape my busy routine and reconnect with my inner self.”

Additionally, she highlighted the wellness and mental health resources available at HKU, ensuring participants had access to ongoing support and guidance. By combining theory with actionable tools and worksheets, the workshop provided an interactive learning experience to take meaningful steps toward a more balanced and fulfilling life. 

To empower students to take action, Lucia distributed a cheat sheet summarizing valuable resources after the workshop. Students were encouraged to take action through three key steps:

• Identify Your Character Strengths: Students could discover their unique strengths by taking the VIA Institute test.

• Track and Measure Your Success: Setting clear goals for internships or personal life could help identify areas for improvement, boosting mental health and resilience.
• Set up a Gratitude Journal: Students were encouraged to jot down one thing they were grateful for each day, which could enhance their mental and physical well-being.

Students also received tips for cultivating a positive mindset during their Impact Lab journey. They were encouraged to reflect on gratitude in their weekly reports, promoting self-awareness, and giving shoutouts to recognize others’ contributions, fostering positivity and a supportive community.

A huge thank you to Lucia Loposova, FSI’s Education Program Manager, for designing and organizing this important workshop, and to all the attendees who made this workshop so impactful and reflective. We are also grateful to HKU for providing the space to hold this workshop. 

*This blog post was drafted by Hsu Latt Shwe Yi and Kabita K. Sahteli, Communications and Marketing interns at the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) during the Spring 2025 semester of the Impact Lab Course.