Momentum Over Perfection: Breaking the Struggle Cycle
I know a guy in the real world.
He runs a local business.
He is always struggling.
He tells people he’s struggling.
People take pity on him and try to help.
They give him business plans and support.
But, instead of taking that advice, he tells them he just doesn’t know how to do business, then complains more about how he is struggling.
Anyone who has spent time in business sees it right away.
Victim mindset.
This guy has a great business doing what he loves, he just spends every day telling anyone who will listen about how hard it is.
The truth?
It’s only hard if you tell yourself it’s hard.
Business, sales, anything worth doing takes time and discomfort.
You are going to mess up, seek help, then mess up more.
That doesn’t matter, as long as you are improving.
Imagine if the first time I did a cold call and failed miserably, I gave up.
Said it’s too hard.
How would I improve?
I could get away with a mediocre career, constantly thinking about how hard it is.
But what kind of life is that?
I’ll share the advice I shared with him.
I’ll apply it generally, although there was nothing general about it when I spoke to him.
In most cases where you’re struggling, or things are too hard, you are both the problem and the solution.
You can either suffer in how difficult it is, or you can accept that you need to be better and seek the help.
One of my favourite sayings:
“Imperfect action creates momentum, momentum creates clarity.”
In other words, you have to start pedaling before you can feel the balance of the bike.
Only when you feel the balance can you make corrections.
You have the ability to give yourself gifts in 2 years time.
It might be a new business venture, a bigger house, or just peace of mind.
You just have to do the right things now.
And if you don’t know where to start?
Everyone has that one thing on the list that they need to get done.
The one thing we keep pushing back because we don’t want to do it.
Do that.
An addition to the newsletter after I wrote it.
I heard about this study when I was flying home on Friday.
It studied people who identify themselves as lucky.
The summary below
The Newspaper Picture Test
This was an experiment designed by Wiseman to highlight how "luck" often involves attention, mindset, and openness to opportunities.
The Test:
- Setup: Participants were given a newspaper and asked to count how many pictures were inside.
- The Trick: Early in the newspaper, there was a bold message taking up half a page that read: "Stop counting — there are 43 pictures in this newspaper."
- Results:
- The majority of "Lucky" individuals noticed the bold message and stopped counting, saving time.
- "Unlucky" individuals tended to miss the message, as they were so focused on the counting task.
Interpretation:
- People who identify as "unlucky" often approach tasks in a rigid, overly focused way, which can cause them to miss unexpected opportunities or shortcuts.
- "Lucky" people, on the other hand, are more likely to notice the big picture and spot opportunities outside their immediate focus.
Key Takeaways
- Luck is Partly About Awareness: Luck often comes from noticing and acting on opportunities that others overlook.
- Mindset Shapes Outcomes: Believing you’re lucky can make you more open to opportunities and less discouraged by setbacks.
- Openness and Flexibility Matter: Being open to new information or experiences, like noticing the bold message in the test, plays a big role in how "luck" unfolds.