Discover why bad plans are more likely to succeed than good ones. Learn how perseverance, adaptability, and unexpected timing can lead to billion-dollar breakthroughs. A cybersecurity company that protects social media companies, including Facebook. The story manages to preserve the beauty of life, even when things don’t go as planned. The caption reads, “Buy the clothes.” The real magic happens when you stop trying to force yourself to do things and start noticing the opportunities that are quietly knocking on your door. This can be very powerful if you are willing to accept unexpected changes.
The Paradox of Perseverance: When Sticking With It Can Hold You Back
Think about J.K. Rowling. Let’s look at Rowling for a moment. She didn’t try to change adult literature until Harry Potter became a global phenomenon and grossed billions of dollars. She just writes the stories she needs to survive as a mother. Her success comes not from having a perfect plan, but from going to that coffee shop every day and doodling on a napkin when necessary. Patience, persistence, and flexibility. It’s like I’m training for a marathon every day and I see that I’m an incredible swimmer. Even as the focus of analysis changes, so does the discipline.
Why Setbacks are Crucial to Your Success Journey
Every “failed” attempt to reach your ultimate goal is actually marketing research in disguise. Every rejection is a shift in the universe. Every closing door is a chance to lead you to a real breakthrough. As Thomas Edison so beautifully said in his search for light, “I have never failed.” I just found 10,000 ways that don’t work. He wanted to be a lawyer, but failed the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) twice. These “failures” led him to found Spanx and build a multi-billion dollar empire around a product he never imagined. Slack, a $26.51 billion (2025) tech company, started as a failed video game company. Their internal communications tool became their golden ticket and made its creators billionaires.
The new success paradigm
Success requires a multi-faceted approach that starts with dedication and can manage change when necessary. Your first goal should be to follow a compass rather than a GPS, which provides direction while allowing for alternative exits. Teach consistently, because discipline is the bridge between where you are and where you can be. Follow a trading strategy, because scarcity and failure often present good opportunities. Focus on developing transferable skills that will allow you to create value across multiple fields and industries.
The True Formula for Breakthrough Success
Breakthroughs rarely come from a perfectly executed business plan. Instead, they result from a powerful convergence of elements. The skills you’ve developed while pursuing your original goal create a foundation of expertise. The unique insights gained from supposed failures provide market intelligence and personal growth. The opportunities you become uniquely positioned to recognize and seize further enhance this foundation. Finally, the relationships you’ve built along your entrepreneurship experience support your future endeavors. These elements work together to create possibilities you couldn’t have imagined at the start.
The Choice Is Yours
Don’t ask, “Why isn’t this working?” Start by asking yourself, “What does this mean for me?” The key is to stay in the game long enough for the unexpected to find you. Remember: The universe doesn’t always give us what we want. Instead, it gives us things we never knew we needed, and often better things.
It happens. Relax. Invest in yourself. The next time you feel like giving up because success isn’t coming the way you wanted, remember this: It doesn’t matter the form. It’s a real blast. Maybe, just maybe, everything is turning out the way it should.
