Everything Right, Nothing Left

Net losses are when you give your best efforts while still believing wholeheartedly in the process, yet coming up short of your desired outcome, or even worse, ending up further behind.

The sting is in knowing you left nothing on the table and still didn't reach the finish line you envisioned.

They say he who laughs last, laughs the best. Leave the best for last and you risk never getting there, since time doesn't wait for your readiness and opportunities have expiration dates.

Sometimes the first laugh is the only one you get.

The perfect moment you're waiting for could be the mediocre moment you're living through right now.

Keeping it stupid simple is actually hard in practice when you factor in that complexity creeps in like weeds through concrete.

For people like myself who prefer clarity and directness, it's a bitter pill to swallow, in that reality refuses to cooperate with our desire for order.

You'll start with a seemingly clean, straightforward approach hoping to get to point B from point A as directly as possible only to find that a few steps ahead getting tangled with edge cases, exceptions, and the messy reality of implementation.

In some ways, I think simple is generally a concealed sophistication.

It takes a deep mastery to make the complex appear effortless.

Betting On The Wrong Certainties

In theory, there's no difference between practice and theory. In practice, there is said Yogi Berra.

I think "in practice" ought to be simple on all accounts.

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I just need to take action and consistently iterate based on the feedback from the consequences of these actions.

Tell that to a perfectionist stuck in analysis paralysis and you'd probably get a detailed explanation of why they need just one more week to plan.

The gap between knowing and doing is where most dreams go to die.

Execution trumps perfection every day of the week.

The perceived simplicity of "just taking action and iterating" is a beautiful ideal, perhaps popularized through self-help books and motivational speeches.

It implies a linear path where effort inevitably leads to progress.

You might iterate on a business strategy for months, only for an unexpected global event to render your best efforts obsolete.

This is where the "net loss" really stings and challenges the fundamental assumption that hard work always pays off directly or immediately.

Sometimes, the uncomfortable truth is despite doing everything right by the book, external forces, unpredictable variables, or simply the sheer complexity of the system you're operating within, can deliver a punishing outcome.

Action without reflection is blind, and reflection without action is empty.

The sweet spot is in creating a rhythm. Do, learn, adjust, repeat.

Definitely not do, plan, re-plan, perfect the plan, question the plan, then maybe do.

In terms of doing "everything right" and still experiencing a net loss on many fronts, I think a consolation of sorts is the invaluable clarity gained from knowing your absolute limit, and that the failure wasn't due to a lack of effort or belief on your part.

At least, that's how I view it on some days when I'm not drowning in the bitterness of watching inferior efforts succeed while mine floundered.


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