I have this friend I’ve known since the 2nd grade who also happens to be part of the select group of folks whose intellect I respect. Thing is, I’m not particularly fond of talking to him anymore. For one reason: He’s fixated on his business failure.
Yes, failure. Singular. At least, last I talked to him, it was just one business (and a small one at that) that went under. That’s all it took, however, for him to adopt this mantra: “I’ve learned that some people are just unlucky in business.”
That was a few years ago. Last I heard, things haven’t gotten all that much better for him life-wise. Maybe he’s tried another business venture or two after that first failure, but frankly, with that kind of pessimism so early on, it’s pretty much a sure bet that he’s already talked himself out of the game before he’s even started. Particularly in light of his unwillingness to listen to folks who’ve been there before.
Like my dad, a businessman who before his passing owned and ran the largest IT school chain in Southeast Asia. He told me: “Son, I start at least 20 new businesses each year. Nineteen will fail, guaranteed. One makes it. That one pays for the failures and then some. The trick is sensing quickly which ones are no go’s so you can stop the bleeding immediately and have the energy to focus on the ones that still have a chance.”
Of course, my friend refuses to consider, let alone heed, that wisdom.
Even the online world has similar anecdotal evidence. Like Jeremy Schoemaker’s (yes, that’s Mr. Shoemoney himself) admission that he’s about 5 for 500 in successful ventures vs. flops. Want specific proof? Read his My Top 10 Worst Ideas to Make Money post; yeah, it’s old, but it’s still quite illuminating.
Obviously, this applies to everything, not just businesses or websites or blogs or yada yada yada. Your freelance article query got rejected? Your book (self published or otherwise) isn’t selling too well? Heck, maybe your lover just called it quits…
Whatever. Look at the above and realize that maybe, just maybe, you just haven’t yet failed enough.
So, Grasshopper, what say we try it again, shall we?
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