Reframing Failure as Getting Closer to a Solution
It was so common, I thought it was normal.
For 30 years, I struggled to breathe. Diagnosed with asthma as a child.
There wasn’t a day—not an hour—when I didn’t wheeze.
I used to go through Primatene Mist the way most kids go through candy.
But I was getting by. And I thought, maybe this is the best I can do.
***
Until I met Dr. Tess. Young guy, newly minted physician. And a genius.
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.
So he started tweaking. He assigned me a regimen of medications. Told me to come back in a few weeks.
I reported in on my progress. He made adjustments. We did it all again.
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.
The man was a genius. But his standout quality was his patience. Or his compassion. Maybe both.
I made small improvements, then big ones. Dr. Tess wasn’t satisfied until I was, effectively, cured.
I went 10 years of my life without a single wheeze.
***
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.
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.
The dead ends didn’t deter him. Instead, he took them as a sign that he was narrowing in on the real solution.
Is that you in your business?
What would happen if it was?
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.
Maybe you don’t have to settle for getting by. Maybe you’re one iteration away from the thing you want to create.
Keep going.
