I Seek Failure: Adam Kreek at TEDx Victoria

I Seek Failure: Why the Edge of Your Limits Is Where You Need to Be

Most people run from failure. I chase it.

When I stood on the TEDx Victoria stage in 2013, I shared a message that had shaped my journey as an Olympic athlete, an adventurer, and a leader: If you want to grow, you have to fail—on purpose.

This wasn’t just some feel-good motivational line. It was a philosophy drilled into me by my teammate, Jake Wetzel, one of the most disciplined and relentless rowers I ever trained with. One day, I asked him, “Jake, how are you so successful?”

His response: “I seek failure.”

The Power of Non-Attainment

Jake explained that every week, he would deliberately pick one workout where he would push himself beyond his limit—until his body failed him. Not just struggled, not just hurt—failed. Completely.

Why? Because that is where real growth happens.

For the rest of the week, he would train just below that limit, constantly expanding his ability. This wasn’t just about getting stronger. It was about knowing exactly where the edge was and learning how to stay there.

The Capacity Bubble: Where Growth Happens

Every one of us lives within what I call a capacity bubble—a personal limit on what we think we can achieve, endure, or contribute.

You can stay safe in the middle of that bubble, never pushing too hard, never risking failure. But over time, that bubble shrinks—your growth slows, your confidence weakens, and your potential gets smaller.

Or, you can hover around the edges of your capacity bubble, constantly challenging yourself, pushing limits, and expanding what is possible.

And if you want to expand your bubble as fast as possible? There is only one thing to do:
You have to be right on the edge. And the only way to find that edge is to fail.

The Happy Failure Matrix

Most people think of failure as something shameful—something to avoid, something to cover up. But I believe in something different: happy failure.

When we fail happily and fail effectively, we:

Failure isn’t just necessary—it is desirable. When we learn to seek failure intentionally, to celebrate it, we stop being afraid of our own potential. We stop limiting ourselves before we even start.

The Takeaway: Stop Playing It Safe

Whether you are an athlete, a leader, an entrepreneur, or just someone trying to get better at life, your real growth lies just beyond your comfort zone.

If you avoid failure, you are avoiding progress. If you never push to the edge, you will never know what you are truly capable of.

Ask yourself:

Stop fearing failure. Start using it.

Because the greatest point of growth occurs right below your limit.

Learn more about Kreek’s coaching here.

Learn more about Kreek’s live event service here.

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