Somewhere in between the apparently disconnected opinions of Tony Robbins’, “Perfect practice makes perfect” and Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali’s, “Have no fear of perfection—you’ll never reach it…” those searching for truth may stumble upon one of the most seemingly simple and yet provocatively profound formulas for success ever discovered:
“Double your rate of failure.”
Rhetorically asking, “Would you like me to give you a formula for…success?” Thomas John Watson, Sr., the Founder of IBM stated, “It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure.” Mr. Watson then continued, “[Most people are] thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all.”
True, if you’re performing brain surgery, working with plutonium, or packing your own parachute, doubling your rate of failure is not the advice you want to be following. So why pass it along? Because taken in context, those five words continue to provide the clear instructions the majority of success seekers actually need!
Think about it… Watson’s quest for excellence was profoundly simple: Get more products into the hands of more people. (Sound familiar?) So how well did that “Double your rate of failure” philosophy actually work? Well, by 1952 IBM had become such a powerful sales force, they controlled 90% of the tabulating machine market in the United States!
Now to be fair, making a personal commitment to become a bit (or a lot) better at your chosen profession is always a good idea… But let’s not confuse preparation with performance. Because if all you’re really doing is spending countless hours getting ready, without actually doing much of anything, you will never experience the beauty of Watson’s words… In essence, how increased activity leads to abundant accomplishment.
Therefore, if your inward desire is to ultimately achieve a greater degree of success, in Network Marketing or otherwise, then consider applying Watson’s sage advice; shift what you’re focusing on and see if you can, through increased activity, “Double your rate of failure.”
All the best,
MSC
P.S. While Lexus continues “The Passionate Pursuit of Perfection” if you are interested in following in Watson’s footsteps, then gift a copy of “Go For No!” (along with this article) to anyone in your life who’s ready to fail their way to massive success!
Hi Michael: Thanks for the new post. There’s other old saying that goes something like… “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.”
The one I like the most is, “Never give up!” It helps when things didn’t go right. Jake
I sometimes confuse preparation with performance and spend a lot of time just “getting ready.” It’s time for me to increase my activity and “Double my rate of failure!” I am looking forward to more posts from you! Aaron
I enjoy your blog comments and I would like to contact you. How to I reach you? Thanks Robert
Robert: You can always reach me through http://www.Nexera.com. All the best, MSC
Great article! One of my most highly recommended reads is “Failing Forward” by John Maxwell. The subject is learning to embrace failure as part of the growing process toward success and that through trying and learning you will achieve your goals.