Think About The Upside and The Downside

In the topic of aiming high and having big goals, sacrifices and the inevitability of failure will always come up. Acknowledging this fact can be daunting and sometimes even discouraging, which is why people are encouraged to look at the pros of the process. Obviously, this isn’t a bad thing. But always be reminded that too much of anything can do more harm than good. Be careful of being addicted to what we call Hopium or the overly optimistic expectations coupled with persistent expansion. In planning, you should always take into account both the best and worst case scenarios. From there, you are able to plan around the holes in your model. 

There’s nothing wrong with getting enthusiastic about our vision especially when you’ve finally made the decision to pursue your goals. In fact, this is one of the most important aspects of the process. But you need to pace yourself. When positive results keep coming left and right, there is a higher tendency that you would be confident enough to brave into deeper waters. This is not to say that confidence is a negative trait. However,  you must constantly remind yourself that everything has an upside and a downside to it. As disappointing as the downsides are, you still need to acknowledge that there is and will always be one one way or another. By doing this, you will be able to make more calculated and thought-out decisions than basing them off of the high you are in from your successes. For every business venture or investment, we carefully think through five possible outcomes: the worst possible, worst likely, best possible, best likely, and the most probable outcome. Being actively and consistently aware of this will help you determine whether a deal is worth doing. 

When you feel like you’re starting to get blindsided by the good things, get yourself a reality check -- set aside your biases, think of the five outcomes mentioned earlier, and plan again. Being high up there as you float with your achievements can be a cause for ignorance, carelessness, and eventually, your downfall. Keep your feet on the ground by planning realistic outcome and be proactive in keeping track of the upsides and downsides of your plan.