Fall, Learn, Rise: The Unspoken Secret of High Achievers

Why is it that we so often find ourselves falling behind, watching others with seemingly less at their disposal surge ahead? We see individuals who start with nothing and reach their goals, while others, armed with ample resources and a clear plan, falter in pursuit of the very same objective. Is it talent? Luck? Connections? While these factors play their roles, they are not the heart of the matter. In the vast majority of cases, the difference comes down to a single, fundamental factor that allows any person to progress faster than others.

The Crossroads of Knowledge and Experience

Let’s imagine a simple scenario. Two young friends, let's call them Liam and Noah, decide they both want to have a million dollars by the time they turn thirty. The destination is identical, but will their paths be the same? Obviously not.

Liam might choose the path of formal education, betting on the value of knowledge. He enrolls in a university, dedicating years to structured learning. Noah, on the other hand, decides to jump straight into the workforce. He wagers on experience, believing that practical application is more valuable than theory.

Which one will reach the goal first? The truth is, we can't answer that question because we lack a crucial piece of information. Both paths have merit. A university education provides not just foundational knowledge but also the invaluable skill of systemic thinking. It teaches one to find solutions under pressure. Consider the student who, faced with a difficult exam under a tight deadline, devises an unconventional method to access the information he needs. This creativity in a constrained environment is a skill directly applicable to the challenges of entrepreneurship.

At the same time, experience is a powerful teacher. There are countless stories of average students who went on to build fortunes in short order, simply because they dived into the practical world early. They understood that theory is one thing, but application is another. So, if it's neither knowledge nor experience alone, what truly sets the successful apart?

The Fragility of the Flawless Plan

When faced with a large task, the human mind instinctively seeks structure. We build a plan: do A, then B, then C, all within a set timeline, and the goal will be achieved. Planning is essential; without a vector of movement and a final destination, one can travel a great distance only to end up back at the starting point. This is one of the most common pitfalls people face.

So, is the secret a perfect plan? Let's return to our friends.

Liam, the hard worker, drafts his plan: nine years of work to gain experience and save capital, followed by launching a business to earn his million in three years. Noah, the student, has a different approach: four years at university, three years working at a large corporation (where a degree is required) to gain experience and funds, then five years to build his business and earn his million.

Both diligently follow their plans. Five years pass. Noah has graduated with honors and has a year of corporate experience. Liam has amassed colossal practical experience, working his way up from small businesses to medium-sized companies. Everything seems to be going according to their well-laid plans.

Then, a crisis hits.

The corporation where Noah works begins mass layoffs, and he is let go due to his limited experience. The industry Liam works in is hit hardest, and his company goes bankrupt. Both of their plans are in ruins. The problem wasn't the plans themselves. The problem was the unshakable belief that the path would be linear.

The Turning Point: The Choice to Continue

So, who ultimately achieves the goal? This time, the answer is clear. The one who will succeed is the one who, after being knocked down, simply gets back up and adjusts their route to the new reality.

Imagine two runners racing toward the same finish line. Both are tripped and fall. Who will win? The one who gets to their feet the fastest and starts running again.

A failed plan is not a total loss. What remains are the invaluable knowledge and experience gained along the way. No crisis, no firing, no unforeseen circumstance can take those away. They are permanent assets. The consequences of your past actions—the skills you've learned, the lessons you've absorbed—stay with you forever. They can be reapplied at any time, in any new configuration. The most important thing is to have the will to do so.

This is where most people falter. We either act chaotically, losing focus, or we get stuck in endless planning, never taking the first step. The result is the same: inaction. Consider a simple goal like reading a book to gain new knowledge. We might tell ourselves we want to master the material completely in one sitting for maximum efficiency. But when reality intrudes—perhaps we only have 60 minutes instead of the planned 90—we decide not to read at all, because the action won't be "perfect."

This is the great secret: it is better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing at all. By acting imperfectly, we still draw conclusions, we still learn, and we still progress. Reading for 60 minutes makes you 60 minutes smarter than you were before. It may not be the 90 minutes you planned, but it is still forward movement.

Embracing the Journey's Imperfections

When our initial plan is disrupted, it’s crucial not to surrender. The goal hasn't changed, only the circumstances. A common and detrimental reaction is to start doubting ourselves, to lose faith that the goal is even achievable. But this is a fallacy. Any goal can be reached if you first clearly define it and second, you consistently move toward it, no matter how simple that sounds.

The perfect plan is a myth. What is real is the "perfect plan syndrome"—the compulsion to map out every single step of a route before starting, which often leads to never starting at all. It is the modern echo of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, the classic literary character who was intelligent and resourceful but spent his life on a couch, endlessly planning and dreaming of the day he would finally begin to act.

A plan is necessary, but it should not be a rigid, million-step itinerary. It should be a guardrail in the dark, something to hold onto for direction. You don't need to know the color of the walls or the material of the steps to descend a staircase; you just need to know where the railing is.

Life will inevitably introduce changes we cannot predict or control. What we can control is our attitude toward these changes. Will they confuse us and force us to stop, or will they invigorate us to find a new route, one that might lead to an even better outcome? Every change presents a choice. Making that choice is scary because we fear making a mistake. But if you begin to treat mistakes as a natural and necessary part of progress, making them becomes much easier. They are not failures; they are data points that provide knowledge and experience.

Ultimately, any mistake is eclipsed by the success that lies down the road. If you make a hundred mistakes but eventually reach your goal, those mistakes are no longer sources of pain. They transform into the very wisdom that enabled your success.

The philosopher Thomas Nagel offered a compelling perspective on choice. He argued that any choice you make, provided it is made after analyzing the available information, is the correct one. At the moment of decision, you chose the path that seemed best to you based on what you knew. You had no reason to choose otherwise. Therefore, the only truly wrong choice is the one that leads to paralysis—stopping at the point of failure and refusing to move forward.

Action is the reason some people progress faster than others. It all comes down to action. So, define your goal, sketch out a simple plan, and then, most importantly, begin. When the unexpected happens, don't get lost. Simply adjust, learn, and continue doing. Your knowledge will grow, your skills will improve, and if you do not stop, you will reach your destination.

References

• Nagel, T. (1987). What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy. Oxford University Press.

  This book explores fundamental philosophical questions in accessible language. Chapter 6, "Free Will," directly addresses the nature of choice and responsibility. Nagel discusses the idea that given the circumstances and information present at a moment of decision, our choice may be the only one we could have reasonably made, which supports the article's argument for moving past regret and focusing on continued action.