I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk with dozens of successful people, and do you know what they all have in common?

Patience.

Because in anything that’s worth going for, there’s going to be something called a Dip.

Seth Godin coined this term in his book called The Dip which refers to the challenging period that takes place during any worthwhile venture.

And it’s during this challenging period that most people quit. Because for a lot of endeavors, it can last months, years, or even decades.

A good example of this is Colonel Sanders story.

I think it’s safe to say everyone knows who Colonel Sanders is, but I want to give you a little back story just in case you need to be caught up.

Sanders was born in a 1890 in the small town of Henryville, Indiana. At just six years old, his father passed away leaving Sanders to take care of his two siblings.

And it was in the seventh grade that he dropped out of school permanently to work as a farmhand for some extra cash.

Over the years Sanders jumped from job to job ranging from operating steam engines on trains, selling insurance, and even working on a ferry boat.

And he wasn’t switching jobs because he was trying to find his passion. He was just fired from every single one of them.

This guy couldn’t catch a break.

It wasn’t until he was 40 years old that Sanders started cooking. He had opened up his own service station in Corbin, Kentucky, and served fried chicken to anyone traveling through town.

He ran his roadside operation for nine years with little success until 1956 when he was shut down because of a new interstate bypass that forced him to sell his restaurant at a loss.

At this point, all he had left was a monthly Social Security check for $105 as his total income.

But this dude mastered the art of patience and started to look for a way to franchise his fried chicken recipe.

He and his wife decided to travel all over the United States searching for anyone who would accept his recipe.

After two years and 1,009 rejections, he finally got his yes at the ripe age of 65.

And it was at this point KFC was born.

Now that’s a Dip.

I’m not saying it’s going to take you 65 years to succeed. But what I am saying is that if you have patience and the awareness that this challenging part of your life is only temporary, you’re bound to succeed.

Besides, if anything, the Dip is your best friend.

It’s what creates scarcity and filters out your competition. So the moment it starts getting hard, think about all the people who are dropping out of the race around you.

So just be patient.

You can’t lose if you don’t quit.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading: I’m currently in the middle of reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius; translated by Gregory Hays. This may or not be my fourth time reading it.

Quote Of The Week: "“The extent of the struggle determines the extent of the growth.” — Ryan Holiday