Applying the 0% Chance Mindset
A practical case from a reader
The 0% Chance Mindset is more than a radical concept - it can be a practical compass for navigating our way out of the Cult of Achievement.
We all carry our list of "0% Chance" tasks - ambitions we’ve shelved because we convinced ourselves that the odds of success are near zero. For me, one of those is learning a musical instrument. I’ve always wanted to play well enough to perform for and with friends, yet my own perception of my potential is near zero.
Usually that would be the end of the story. But using the Fail on Purpose methodology, I realised the "downside" is negligible - just a bit of time and the cost of the lessons and instrument. The upside, however, can be joyously transformative:
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Inoculation: If I fail, it becomes a pre-emptive rewiring mechanism. Because I expect to fail, the pressure evaporates. The attempt becomes playful, the effort feels light, and the mind stays calm. I can actually have fun in the process of failing.
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Momentum: If I somehow succeed, I haven’t just opened a portal to a new world of joy; I have shattered my own conditioned beliefs. That success empowers me to step off the tracks and embrace even larger "0% chance" challenges in the future.
The journey to living on purpose begins the moment we choose to embrace failure.
Fail on Purpose
The 0% Chance Mindset
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I have always been intrigued by the intertwining of paths, journeys and destinations - wondering about the cause and effects, the proverbial chicken-or-the-egg paradox. My current fascination with the Theory of Change and Impact in the charities sector is but an extension of this life-long fascination. I try to stay away from Fate and Destiny but why not add a dash of mystery into the mix.
I am not alone in pondering on this "which comes first" mystery. Was LaoTzu not there yet with his "every journey begins with a single step" or should we "just do it" and throw caution to the wind.
"There are many paths to the summit. Choose not the most difficult path, nor the easiest, but the one you make for yourself". This is the most quoted line from my first book - "100 Stories: Finding Your Basecamp in Life".
With no plans to conjure a sequel quote from Fail on Purpose, the most popular line so far from my second book is “You don’t pick the path because of the destination; you discover the destination because of the path.” I was quietly hoping it would be "let's roll a 13!".
So what is "Fail on Purpose" all about? One reader puts it most aptly:
"I also appreciated the reminder that life does not need to be lived clenched. We can return to the way we are born to live: curious, exploratory, playful, and honest. When we stop fearing failure and the fall, freedom appears. Freedom to express, to try, to wander, and to enjoy the process rather than fixating on outcomes."
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