Formula for Success

This is the topic I planned to address last post before I was sidetracked, so here it is: my formula for success.  I believe, and yes this is my opinion, that this formula will help anyone looking to succeed at anything.  As I explain the formula, keep in mind that each part varies for each person.  No two people are alike, some pick up parts faster than others while others pick up different parts faster than some.  My wife reminds me periodically that I only know one way to do anything, ALL IN.  Keep this in mind as focus and determination will affect how quickly you improve.

(e + c) * P

        E

Interesting isn’t it!  Here it is again.

( experience + confidence ) * Preparation

                        Execution

Intrigued?  I’ll explain each part, why it is important and most importantly, how the math relates to the formula.

Experience

            This one is attainable by anyone, but definitely the most time consuming.  Experience is irreplaceable and there is no substitute or shortcut.  The more time spent improving skills, increasing knowledge and understanding the intricacies, the more you improve your chance of success.  In fishing, if you’re flipping and pitching skills are poor (accuracy), then spend a few minutes each day flipping and pitching at targets in the house, garage or yard.  I like to use a 5’6” casting rod with braid for practice.  The short rod works in the house and braid is much easier to use.  As you become more proficient, this skill will translate to a different setup quickly.  If you struggle deep, spend time reading how to use your electronics better and spend time on the water using them.  This one is very hard for most anglers as the desire to fish often wins.  To prevent this, leave the rods at home.  Another tip is to remove anything that relates to other techniques so you are forced to stick with your plan.  Attend seminars, fish with other anglers, read articles (by experts) and experiment. 

We all become complacent in our strengths, but you must reach outside the box to progress.  Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  This is true as it relates to yourself or your team.  If you have skills that are raw or lacking, they will slow your progression and actually hurt you by affecting the second element in the Formula.

Confidence

            This part is perhaps the most difficult to obtain and more importantly, to maintain.  Confidence can erode over time, or in an instant.  It is generally gained through success, but lost in failure.  The key here is to identify failure, because often we lose confidence when we shouldn’t.  If you follow the elite tournament pro’s, you’ll often hear them say, “I had one in the box by 2, but caught 4 in the last hour”, or “I know I’m in the right area, I just have to wait for the right timing”.  I have a couple of examples.  First, in a tournament last year with a friend, I sensed he was growing restless when he went without a bite for over 2 hours (in the morning).  I simply said, “Just be patient, they’re here.  We’ll catch them.”  We went on to win that day. 

Sometimes our failures can actually strengthen our confidence.  At McConnaughy this year, on the second day, I was fishing in a steady rain for shallow largemouth in dirty water.  I knew the bass were there and the forecast was for clearing skies.  I committed to the area and tried my best.  It never stopped raining and I finished fifth.  Success?  Not hardly, but it didn’t shake my confidence because I made the best call based on the information I had and it gave me the best chance to win.  If the skies cleared, it could have changed everything. 

This doesn’t mean that I don’t lose confidence, but rather that I manage the times that it is shaken.  You must be confident in your abilities to catch fish, or whatever it is that you do, because you aren’t competing against anyone but yourself.  In everything, all you can control is how you react to adversity.  You fish to catch the bass, not be concerned with others.  You can’t control what they do. 

Preparation

            This is the key ingredient to whatever you are trying to succeed at.  There is no substitute for a good plan.  Someone once said, “The only bad plan is no plan”, prophetic words.  Quite often, the better prepared angler will succeed over the more confident and experienced angler based on this alone.  Teams don’t enter a game without a game plan, a CEO doesn’t enter a board meeting without a presentation (plan) and good bass anglers don’t enter a tournament without doing their homework.  Homework consists of many things, but some of my favorites are Google Earth, Topo maps, prior tournament results (history) and weather information.  Time of year (pre/post spawn) and water conditions are additional factors that must be considered.  If you go into a tournament guessing, you’ll lose valuable time trying to scramble.  Develop a good plan, refine it during practice and execute it during the tournament.  Yes, often you must make adjustments, but rarely do you have to scrap everything and start over.  Be prepared; cover contingency plans for unexpected conditions.  Have an idea before the unexpected happens so you can recognize it early.

Execution

            Mistakes are often the downfall to finishing second or lower.  Missed fish (net mistakes, break offs, etc) are usually the culprit, but this can also include missing a key characteristic that prevents making an adjustment, forgetting something or a multitude of other things.  The key here is to limit the mistakes.  Sometimes one or two mistakes can be managed, but multiple mistakes are much harder to overcome.  This doesn’t mean that you should give up, but rather refocus as it is harder to succeed.  Keep your head down and concentrate; you can still salvage a respectable day.  Blow your cool, and you may be done.

The Math

             Now that you have the pieces, let’s put them together.  Experience plus Confidence (these are both important), add together to define your skill as an angler.  The more you have of each, the more it inflates your chances.  Together, multiply these against your Preparation to get your enumerator.  Yes, experience and confidence are big indicators, but lacking preparation exponentially affects your outcome.  Divide this by your Execution factor (number of mistakes) and you get your chance of success.  Notice that I say “Chance of Success”, not just success.  Also, division by zero is not possible, but I’d argue that by default, we all start with one.  We are all human and by nature are not perfect.  Division is important here, because in any competition, every error significantly reduces your chance to succeed.

The more you increase this number, the better your chance to succeed.

All the experience and confidence multiplied by your preparation and executed flawlessly may not be enough.  Recall that I said you can’t control others.  You can maximize your chance of success and bring in 25 pounds only to see someone else hoist 25 and ½ on the scales.  That is why it is calculated as a chance.  Winning anything is difficult, especially as the competition gets tougher.  Winning a tournament often is more a factor of everything going just right, that is why I pray!  Do this enough (maximize your chances) and you’ll win your share. 

More importantly, you’ll improve your consistency.

God Bless and Good Fishing!