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Reframing Failure as Getting Closer to a Solution

Crews & co.
|
5.2.2024
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It was so common, I thought it was normal.

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For 30 years, I struggled to breathe. Diagnosed with asthma as a child.

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There wasn’t a day—not an hour—when I didn’t wheeze.

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I used to go through Primatene Mist the way most kids go through candy.

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But I was getting by. And I thought, maybe this is the best I can do.

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***

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Until I met Dr. Tess.  Young guy, newly minted physician. And a genius.

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He took one look at me, and he wasn’t satisfied with what he saw: a young man whose quality of life was severely diminished by constant wheezing.

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So he started tweaking. He assigned me a regimen of medications. Told me to come back in a few weeks.

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I reported in on my progress. He made adjustments. We did it all again.

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Over and over, Dr. Tess iterated on my medications. He sent me away to test. And when I came back to check in, he listened.

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The man was a genius. But his standout quality was his patience. Or his compassion. Maybe both.

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I made small improvements, then big ones. Dr. Tess wasn’t satisfied until I was, effectively, cured.‍

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I went 10 years of my life without a single wheeze.‍

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***

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This physician could have been like all the others. He could have told me, “This is as good as it gets for you.” And I would have continued to get by. Without the marathons, without the Ironmans, without the morning runs that have become so critical to my physical (and mental) well-being.


The difference? A willingness to iterate. Dr. Tess saw every failure as part of the path to success. Every time a medication didn’t work, he received valuable information that led to his next decision.
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He iterated, probably dozens of times, because he steadfastly believed things could be better for me. He probably believed it more than I believed it myself.

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The dead ends didn’t deter him. Instead, he took them as a sign that he was narrowing in on the real solution. ‍

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Is that you in your business?

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What would happen if it was?

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I’ve written before that iteration is an entrepreneur’s best friend. I don’t have a clearer example than this physician, whose skills and tenacity inspire me every day.

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Maybe you don’t have to settle for getting by. Maybe you’re one iteration away from the thing you want to create.

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Keep going.

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