Most growth can happen close to failure; taking every set to failure adds fatigue that is not always useful. The useful question is not what looks most impressive on paper. It is what decision you can make today and still support next week.
Start here
Finish most sets with one to three good repetitions still possible, using failure selectively on safer exercises.
Use this as a starting experiment rather than a permanent rule. Record what you did, how it felt, and whether performance and recovery remain steady. That information is more valuable than chasing false precision.
Make the smallest useful change, keep it long enough to observe, and adjust from evidence rather than emotion.
A practical example
A machine curl may be taken to failure occasionally; a heavy squat usually offers less benefit for the added fatigue and risk.
A useful plan leaves room for normal variation. Some sessions will feel unusually easy or hard. Judge the direction across several exposures instead of treating one day as a verdict.
What to watch
Failure is difficult to judge when technique changes before the target muscles are truly limited.
Sharp pain, chest pain, faintness, neurological symptoms, or unusual shortness of breath are not programming puzzles. Stop and seek appropriate qualified care.
The bottom line
Train hard enough to create a reason to adapt, not so hard that every set damages the rest of the week.
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