If you want to increase your success rate,

double your failure rate.

Thomas J. Watson

 

Double them.

Double down with a smile on your face when on you’re wrong.

Double and renew your effort to do, what deep inside, you are so uncomfortable to do.

Make mistakes.

The message and advice from those at the top is abundantly clear. Be inspired, work hard, and don’t be afraid to fail.

Seek it out because you can’t get the good stuff, without embracing the stinky stuff.

There are no secret formulas. No short cuts. No predestination.

There is you. There is your idea. There is your best effort. And the result.

Our knowledge of the outcome is often unpredictable. No matter how prepared you are, there is always something you will miss. In the end, your flaws will be embarrassingly exposed, but you will be able to see where it went wrong.

This is where you want to hang out.

This is where most people turtle. This is where they hang their head, curse their effort and turn back. Feeling ashamed. Looking for something else to do. Regretful. Embarrassed. Dejected.

But you’re not them.

You need to double down.

You need to keep digging.

It is time to lead instead of follow because you’re going to double down.

You have more time to learn along the way. To test your ideas. Readjust your course. Take a break if necessary, but it’s truly over if you decide to quit. 

Quit because you’ve made a mistake or experienced a series of failures.

So, do the opposite. Ignore your feelings.

Double your efforts. Double your convictions.

Seek out more dirt and mud to shovel, and you’re sure to behold your diamond.