Don Dalrymple — January 3, 2020 
Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com
Most things don’t work out. And that is the raw reality of business and entrepreneurship. All those people who were excited and did not call you back are just part of the flow of dealmaking. All those promising projects that did not materialize or play out could have been affected by factors outside your control.
Dealing with human beings is tricky business. I am sure when you look back at the past year, there are some heartaches and disappointments.
However, I keep in mind what Mark Cuban has said, which is both encouraging and realistic about business opportunities, “You only have to be right once.” The asymmetry of effort and results works both ways. While most things don’t work out, the reward of being right on a great deal can more than pay off.
This is why getting better at doing the right things is so important.
Also, this is why persevering with more attempts is a great strategy to tilt the law of averages in your favor.
As the year closes, I hope you think about being right once. What does that look like?
What if you can sharpen the focus and get rid of the noise in the work you are putting out or the projects you are choosing to take on?
Maybe you have to change the game you are playing and the players you are interacting with. This could open up new kinds of opportunities and conversations.
Persevere and get smarter at the game you are choosing. Or change it altogether. If you have been trying something for a while, you can likely guess what will happen if you simply keep working harder. If your thinking can’t provide conviction that you will be right with a big reward, reevaluate. You’re looking for that lopsided reward for the effort.
Happy New Year!
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