The practical technique for escaping the failure trap: before attempting any goal, sit down and write 50 experiments you could run. If the goal is weight loss, the list might include: ketogenic diet, traditional Chinese medicine diet, Atkins, heavy cardio, strength training, blood sugar monitoring, hormone work, exercising with enjoyment as the priority, and so on.
Once you have the list, each “failure” becomes simply checking off an experiment. “Oh I tried that — now I’m going to try this. What did I learn?” Each checkmark is a win. The list reframes the entire endeavor from one fragile attempt to a robust series of learning opportunities.
Joe demonstrated this with his barber, an artist who couldn’t sell to galleries. Joe offered $1,000 for 25-50 rejections in a month. Every rejection became a success — closer to the cash goal. The reframe alone was enough. A gallery eventually said yes, and the barber became a working artist.
“Frame it so that every time you make a check on an experiment it’s a win — like you’re checking off a task list.”
The key insight: write the full list before starting. When a painful setback occurs, you don’t have to generate the next idea from a place of defeat — you just look at the list.
Related Concepts
- An iterative mindset makes failure impossible
- Experiments make knowledge embodied
- Experiments separate identity from behavior
- Don’t make experiments a should