Your failure ought to be obvious to you before it is to anyone else.
The ability to notice your failure in the middle of applause, and promptly stand up to it is genius. The sneaky thing about failure is that it’s not always the absence of productivity, or defined by a sudden collapse. It is a consistent, and many times, subtle retrogression, much of which isn’t usually noticed until you hit the hard rock-bottom.
Again, failure is not necessarily the lack of productivity, but producing below par, beneath the level of your capacity.
It is pretty much like a pilot stepping down from a higher altitude to a lower one. He’s still in the air but is coming down gradually. The casual observer may not notice until that plane has come really low.
What are the markers and indicators that provide you with feedbacks on your status per time?