I failed at NANOWRIMO, but is it really a fail?

I started out good for the first couple of days on the NANOWRIMO. I was ahead of the game on words. 

 I lost steam when I couldn't come up with a realistic way to time travel. Maybe because it isn't realistic and my imagination was stuck. I was thinking to hard and I should have moved on in the story but instead I stopped writing. 

I kind of felt how Janette Rallison describes taking a trip without a map. 

"Writing 200 pages without knowing the basic tenets of your story is like driving 200 miles for a vacation without a map or street signs. You’ll get somewhere, but it may not be where you wanted to end up." Pep Talk from Janette Rallison 

I have found my map and now that I have made that first step as Lisa McMann says.  

"So you took the big step and decided to try NaNoWriMo. Maybe it’s your first time, maybe it’s your thirteenth. And it’s a big commitment—one you need a lot of motivation to complete. Like choosing to eat healthy, adopt a puppy, or quit smoking, motivation and commitment are keys to your success. And by choosing to do NaNoWriMo, you’ve made the first step." Pep Talk from Lisa McMann

I'm a little bit closer now to finishing my novel. Like Chris Angotti suggests, I won't focus on what I didn't do but look forward to what I'll accomplish. 

"Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not going to win this time around. Trust that you’ll do more—and make something equally great—in the months to come." Pep Talk from Chris Angotti