This Might Fail

We only get to the top of our game by being less-than-perfect in the process.

Buzz Lightyear was not always the famous character (and popular Halloween costume) he is today. He started off as an “ugly baby.” 

Many ideas need some time to develop. Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull explains: 

“We all start out ugly. Every one of Pixar’s stories starts out that way. A new thing is hard to define; it’s not attractive… Every new idea in any field needs protection. Pixar is set up to protect our director’s ugly baby.” 

Many of the musicians with the most hits are also the ones with the most misses. Taylor Swift came out with yet another album recently. Will some of the songs be forgotten soon? Most definitely. But her willingness to flop is a big reason she has had so many wins. 

What often stops us from dancing with uncertainty is that we worry about what others will think. The truth is, most people are so focused on their stuff, so we might as well go for it. 

It might fail, but it might succeed. And we’ll certainly learn from it. 

So, to infinity and beyond!