One thing I’ve observed is that over years I’ve gotten better at handling failures. Like in the past, or in childhood, small failures would deter me from continuing the same path. Like, let’s say, if I am getting defeated a lot of times at the same level in a video game, I would choose another one. But that’s no longer the case. That hey, I persist, I go through it. But one type of failure still stumbles me a lot, and that is something that I am trying to work on.It’s a failure which stops momentum or forces you to switch lanes.
One such example was I gave the CAT exam a lot. I got a really good score, but as the interview calls were rolling out, I was not getting many calls. Even though if I had 1-2 years of experience, I would have easily gotten even the most premium institutes. That was a really tough period for me, but eventually, I did get a call from IIM Shillong, which is also really, really good. I am grateful that I am able to study there. Currently, I’m facing this similar obstacle with the software I’m developing. Hey, capital is a real constraint, channel incompatibility is a real constraint. That means either need to switch to a new product or completely overhaul whatever I am doing right now. To keep doing what I am doing but for a different purpose, like just creating content. The current momentum is just stopped.
And these moments between realizing something cannot work and starting something new are really hard for me, and that’s what I am trying to work on. Anytime in the future where something like this comes, I better be prepared enough that it doesn’t phase me much, and I am boots on the ground instantly.
From Claude
Some thoughts on getting better at this:
You might benefit from pre-accepting strategic pivots as normal rather than exceptional. Many successful paths involve 2-3 major direction changes. Treating pivots as “I failed to pick right” versus “I’m learning what works” changes the emotional weight.
Shortening the ambiguity window could help – maybe giving yourself a defined period (2 weeks? a month?) to make the decision, gather information, and commit. The paralysis often comes from keeping the question open indefinitely.
Having a “pivot protocol” – almost like an emergency plan. When you hit structural constraints, what’s your process? Talk to three people in your field? Write out all options in a doc? Give yourself 48 hours to feel the frustration, then shift to solution mode? Having a system might make it feel less like freefall.