Nail it Once

Even amongst a slew of bad decisions, bad ideas, and bad breaks, you’ll still do pretty well for yourself if you can nail something important, just once. If you focus on taking action that really matters, the margin for error is so wide.

Any great baseball player gets out far more often than they hit a run. But sometimes they hit a home run. They nail it infrequently, yet the impact is outsized. Unfortunately, there are only a few at-bats each night. Outside the baseball field though, you can walk up to the plate over and over again. Even with a poor strike-out rate, you’ll learn how to hit a home run eventually. Or, a couple of times, you might swing wildly with your eyes closed and be shocked to see your ball flying into the stands.

Take risks often, and be willing to fail continuously, but also constructively. Adapt, and then take another stab. Make repeated tangible decisions and observe the real consequences, rather than planning how you will act in some future moment.

Aim for the moon. Fill your time with tasks and projects that, alone, would make your day—or your life, even—worthwhile. Pick the biggest rocks and chip away at them. Surround yourself with people who, by the virtue of their presence only, bring joy and meaning to your day. Life feels much shorter and also less exciting if you’re never taking a shot at the moon.

Finally, you can always salvage the day. Your worst morning can make way to your best night. A single great decision can flip everything on its head and turn fortunes around. The best ideas usually follow a long and winding trail of horrifically bad ideas.

So, volume and impact are your friend. Dedicate your time to taking action in the most significant areas in your life, and then repeat. Find out how even the worst-case scenario is a positive outcome. Nail your moonshot just once. Or, mess up and hit the stars. But don’t wait around to do what matters. Try right now.