Mastery: Plan To Fail

Issue No. 31 | July 31st, 2023 | Read Time: 2 Minutes

Happy Monday Everyone!

You're going to fail.

I hate to start this week's newsletter with such a dreary tone but it's true.

You're going to fail eventually.

No matter how good you think your plan is, no matter how smart you are, something is going to happen that'll throw you off your tracks. 

But the difference between those that succeed and those that don't is your ability to

plan

for failure. 

And I'm not saying you're going to fail at whatever you're striving to do entirely, but there's going to be moments during your plan that won't work out the way it was supposed to.

Because nothing happens according to plan. No one truly knows what tomorrow has in store for them, so you have to add a buffer in your plan to accommodate these unexpected events. 

In other words, you must plan to fail.

In Seth Godin's book

The Dip

, he says everything in life worth doing is controlled by a

Dip

. 

The Dip is the long slog between starting and mastering a skill. Everyone experiences it, but not everyone gets through it. 

If you want to increase your odds of succeeding, you have to plan for this Dip and learn to be grateful for it. 

Because the Dip creates scarcity. It weeds out your competition and creates value for those that make it through. 

So don't expect the path to success to be all sunshine and rainbows. Expect to be kicked, pushed, punched, spat on, and shoved to the ground with no mercy.

But as long as you're expecting it, you're more likely to get back up and keep trudging your way out of the dip. 

And along the way, you're going to see your competition start bowing out because they weren't ready for such adversity. 

But you will be.

Just remember, your job isn't to get farther than them, it's to finish. 

Because if you aren't going all the way, then why go at all?

Until next time,

Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I'm Currently Reading -

I'm now reading

Bird by Bird

by Anne Lamott, a guide on writing and navigating life one step at a time. 

• If you'd like to see my notes on any other book I have previously read, then check out my websiteisaiahctaylor.comto view my entire library of notes and summaries.

Quote Of The Week

• "You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." — Christopher Columbus