Consider the Kind of Failure

“When failure is reversible, act quickly. When failure is irreversible, think carefully.”
–James Clear 

This quote from James Clear reminds me of Tim Ferris’s’ TED Talk on fear setting. Fear setting is the opposite of goal setting, when you ask yourself, what’s the worst that could happen?

Imagining the worst that could happen is a great exercise that often shows us that worst is not that bad. In cases like this, act quickly. Trust your gut. If you’re right, you have a head start. If you’re wrong, correct course and keep going. 

If the worst-case is something irreversible, like a lot of time you won’t get back, or an opportunity that likely won’t come up again, pause to think carefully. Tim Ferriss encourages people to proactively troubleshoot mishaps and failures before they begin something risky. This reduces anxiety, eliminates specific outcomes, and increases the chances of success. This counts as thinking carefully. 

You have some choices coming up, I’m sure. This week may hold new opportunities for you. Imagine what failure looks like. If it’s easy to reverse, let it fly. I’ve found that while many things seem irreversible, very few really are. 

Good luck out there!