Today’s failure can fuel tomorrow’s success. Just take this angler’s approach

I recently got a text from a friend who is an accomplished angler: “Been salmon fishing three times with no fish yet, give me a call!” I wondered what his response to this lack of success might be?

I already knew what many would have done — it wouldn’t have been a pretty reaction! However, my buddy answered, “Yeah, it’s been tough, but I’m just getting going. I think it’s going to be a decent late season!” Hmmm...very optimistic. What did he know?

“I’ve gone back and looked at all my records and I found that this very same pattern happened about 15 years ago. Same water flows and temps that led to a good late season.” Good logic and information. I was even feeling like there was a reason to get excited. The failure to catch anything after so much time, work and effort wasn’t something many anglers would have handled very well.

I challenged him: “That’s a lot of work and no fish.“

“It’s no big deal, just part of the game. I’m interested in seeing if my hunch is correct based on lots of written notes from past trips. I’ve reviewed them and it’s helped me realize that it’s happened before. I hope to also keep learning something new on each trip that I can use to improve. If I’m able to glean just one new insight, even if I catch nothing, it’s a win.”

This failure hadn’t caused a personal emotional reaction, a trap that a lot of anglers fall into when things aren’t going well. No blaming the various factors or digressing into victimhood. He had already made the decision before this all happened that he would extract everything he could from the trips and use it to catapult him to future success. Why not? Just keep doing what you know to do, make the changes and expect the results. Don’t let it impact your attitude, either.

Another gem: keeping accurate logs of his past trips gave him confidence to pivot quickly, as well as keeping him on track and not reacting emotionally. Having a clear idea of how you’re going to react and execute puts you in control of the things you can control. He had chosen how he would think. It was key to his success.

It became evident that by having a purpose and a mental game plan in place, it led my buddy to a singular focus and an expected outcome. His internal track for success was laid out in detail. He also wasn’t distracted by competing ideas or emotional jags. Temporary setbacks were expected. Steady focus, clear thinking, emotional stability and execution of a clear plan are all hallmarks of a champion. There’s no accident about success.

Our conversation made me think back to the one thing all my Olympic coaches had in common: a profoundly clear vision of what it took to get a gold medal. A clear purpose, complete focus, exact execution and an unwavering iron will to succeed. Simple, yes, but not easy! Principles never change.

Be the best you can be! Never give up!