Aggregation Of Marginal Gains

“If you decide to improve on a particular skill by as little as 1% every single day, you would be better than at least 90% of other people who have that skill.” - From the book by Promise Tewogbola

I’m of the philosophy that failure falls within that 1% improvement quotient.

There’s a long story about my high school years when I was ill for several weeks and although I studied very hard at home I was failing several subjects, math among them. I’d spent the early part of the year in class with everyone else. Studied at home while ill. Returned to class without the benefits of class participation and directed teaching. Got a failing grade.

I repeated algebra the next semester. And English and science.

Aced math and all the other math classes I took in high school. And college. Didn’t do too bad in English and science either.

My failure had become a success because I had a head start. I’d already failed the class but had earlier knowledge of what was to come and more easily understood the expressions, functions, and factorials. That led to geometry, calculus, and theoretical math.

What was more important for me was that I realized I could overcome failures. That I could simply refuse to believe I’d failed and knew that I just didn’t have enough information, experience, or knowledge to accomplish a task or master a subject.

That confidence is primary to being a good photographer. Making sketches, small failures, grand mistakes, and just trying something to see if it works for you is integral to becoming better. Use the failure to improve your skill set that 1%.