What if you failed 66 times?
I recently talked about Jerry Seinfeld and the sitcom “Seinfeld” and how long it took for them to find an audience. Well lets touch on this in a different way.
Madmen aired from 2007–2015. Prior to it being a hit and 92 episodes, the show was rejected 66 times.
WHAT!?
Now I’ve never seen the show but I know of people who have. Many of them love it. How could a successful show get rejected 66 times? Truthfully I don’t have all the answers for that question. However, part of it was the networks did not believe it was a good idea. Let’s face it, not every idea is a hit. I come up with about 30 each morning in the shower and while I’m in there scrubbing my face it’s genius. By the time I walk out the door those 30 ideas actually do suck.
But there is a lesson I take away from this anecdote above. Success is determined by how long you are willing to go. The Mademen team did not stop and the show got picked up. I am sure they made some changes to appeal to a network. Perhaps they changed the story line, added or subtracted some subplots.
Could you be rejected 66 times?
Better question, how do you feel being rejected the first time? If you read about individuals that have had success in business, with money or as a creator, they simply did not know what quitting was.
We all need to exhibit such behavior. The courage to show up every day and the discipline to stay there, as Ryan Holiday says. Winning at anything is a game of no’s.
Try this: go around asking people ridiculous questions, that you are sure you will get a “NO” to. For example: ask everyone you know and work with for $500. Just ask them. Do not provide a reason. Once they say “no”, simply state you are doing an exercise to overcome the word “NO.” The point here is no one likes to be rejected. Especially when we spend time creating something. We believe in it. We love it. Why not everyone else? Try this exercise to build a thicker skin for all the No’s
Dan Roman is a Husband, Father, and writer that releases a daily blog. A quick read on money, marriage, parenting, self-improvement, development and his thoughts. Dan is also Founder/Creator of Roman Solutions, a Personal Finance Firm that currently provides coaching and education.
To connect with Dan visit: https://linktr.ee/bydanroman
Or by email : financialdifference@danromansolutions.com