I failed
I couldn’t remember the last time I woke up with so much
confidence.
I knew only one person who
had passed it the first time.
Those who had passed
recently had done it more than once.
I was determined to take and
pass it the first time. I think I was fixated on passing it the first time.
I followed most of my usual
routine and I was very sure it would work. The only time it had not worked was
when I was emotionally stressed but this time I was emotionally neutral.
As I drove to the testing
center, I mentally composed my success SMS.
Usually, I don’t review my
answers once I am done with an examination, but I wanted to ensure I got way
higher than 300 and that I had reviewed each and every question more than once.
As I raised up my hand to
notify the test administrator of my completion, I hurriedly completed the
survey so that the congratulatory message can appear. I was thinking of the appropriate
time to update my LinkedIn profile when my score appeared - 297
To this day, I am super
grateful that I failed that examination. It was an eye-opening experience
that taught me humility and the importance of surrounding yourself with the
right support system.
I toyed with the idea of
rewriting the examination. I thought about picking up another goal to achieve
but this was the final examination before I would become certified. It was no
longer about passing the exam. It was about achieving a set goal but then the
thought of failing again scared me. It paralyzed me. I initially gave myself
different excuses for not paying for the examination then one day, I decided to
give it all my all. I paid for the examination. I still remember whose card I
used and where I was at that moment. I bought the highly recommended reference
books on Amazon and my friends brought them to Nigeria. I studied the
dictionary, bought an online quiz and I reached out to colleagues who had
passed to guide me. One of them even gave me one of his notes. I took some time
off work and stayed at my parents’ home.
Then the scored appeared –
299! I was petrified. I cried!!! It was painful. In case you did not know, the
pass mark is 300. I planned to write the following month, but I wasn’t
psychologically ready. I had moved into a new role in a different department
and the certification was no longer as important as it was in my previous
department. However, the final paper was applicable in every department and the
certification was part of my goal.
I gradually started reading
again, posted my dilemma on the examination online networking site. Someone
reached out to me, shared some resources and relevant tips. I also evaluated my
use of technology, I sometimes get distracted by work-related task (the beauty
of agile working) or social media during studying period, I guess the iPad I
got as a gift came in handy as I moved all my study materials there. Just
like the previous module, I decided to take my examination a few hours before
going on vacation but this time around, I sincerely asked Allaah for help. When
I opened my eyes, I saw the highest mark in my CPIM journey.
Till next time, remember
“Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the
ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success.
I’ve met people who don’t want to try for fear of failing.” – J.K. Rowling
This post was edited by Lerato Ndlovu
of https://blvbookclub.com/
Inspirational!!!!!! Lesson learnt, keep fighting ��. Failure is not always the end of the road, just a hurdle to a glorious end. I enjoyed this piece ��
ReplyDeleteThanks Pelumi
DeleteNice!perseverance is key.Strong support system is also very important.
ReplyDeleteYes,God bless all our supporters
Deletelove it Billy,thank you for sharing,
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading.
DeleteInspiring!
ReplyDelete🤜
DeleteI am super proud of you Asake-Okin. We all love you Sis and we are always super proud at your strength of standing up after the fall(failure)
ReplyDelete❤ you too sis
DeleteYou know I'm super proud of you and forever loves you. Wonderful article and an eye opener. We will keep trying until....
ReplyDeleteKeep trying love ❤
ReplyDeleteWow...exactly what I need right now. I honestly believe we learn more when we fail. So happy you picked yourself back up multiple times to achieve the goal. Its high time I picked myself back up too. Thank you for this inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThis is really inspiring.... Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOnly help from God is sure to produce the result we desire. Pray till you sweat, prepare till you sweat.
ReplyDelete