Contrary to 'positive thinking,' this method involves identifying everything that could go wrong for each step required to succeed. By proactively creating solutions for these risks, you significantly increase your overall probability of success and de-risk your goals.
For low-probability events, the key is to acknowledge unfavorable long-term odds while maintaining absolute belief in winning the single attempt at hand. This mindset accepts failure as a statistical likelihood but separates it from the possibility of success in the present moment.
Instead of just preparing answers, identify the top reasons you might be rejected (e.g., age, inexperience, culture fit). Then, develop creative, tangible solutions to address each risk before it's raised, turning potential weaknesses into demonstrations of strategic thinking.
Breakthroughs often come from systematically testing a high volume of possibilities, not from a single brilliant insight. Edison tested 6,000 filaments to find one that worked. This redefines resilience not as mere persistence, but as a deliberate strategy to run more experiments than anyone else.
People feel confident if each step of a plan seems likely (e.g., 70% chance). However, the true odds are the product of each step's probability. Three 70% steps result in only a 34% overall chance, mathematically explaining why many well-laid plans fail.
Success can arise from luck, high volume, innate advantages, or changing the odds. Many famous stories, like Marilyn Monroe's discovery, are based on luck. Attempting to replicate such a path is an unreliable strategy; focus on controllable systems you can influence instead.