Falling the Most

This weekend I spent three days snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains with some close friends.

It was incredible. The weather was perfect. The snow and mountains were beautiful. And there was lots of fresh powder to ride.

A few of the people that went with us were new to skiing. They were just learning – and trying not to break anything.

At the end of the first day, one of the beginning skiers told me with joy, “I only fell three times!”

This seems like a good thing at first. After all, nobody likes to fall. And falling involves the risk of breaking something.

But as I thought about that comment, I realized that some of the best snowboarders and skiers with us fell dozens of times. Even I spent a bunch of time on the ground or buried in a snowdrift.

Sitting in the snow after I crashed and burned off the ledge right behind me.

We decided that we would push ourselves. We were going fast, hitting jumps, weaving through trees, and otherwise pushing ourselves to the very edge of what we could do.

In that moment, I realized the difference between those who are successful and those who aren’t. And it all boils down to one simple idea:

The one who falls the most becomes the best.

Think about it. The people who were really good at skiing and snowboarding spent the most time on the ground. The people who were beginning tried everything to not fail. The advanced skiers reveled in failure.

Not only that, the beginners counted their “failures” (falls). They kept track of their failures and not their successes.

In marketing it’s the same principle. I’ve launched far more marketing campaigns that failed than succeeded. Most ads we launch don’t work. Most offers don’t connect.

And that’s OK. Because we simply get up and try again. We push forward. We hop on the lift for another run.

If your marketing isn’t working, that’s OK. Try something else. Fail. Fall down. And do it again. And again. And again.

Dust yourself off, get back on the lift, and try again.

That’s the way you become the best.