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I recently faced several challenges. I’m fortunate that there’s nothing major. It got me thinking about how I handle challenges, big or small.

I’ve watched Dragon’s Den on TV since the beginning, 20 years ago. I’m saddened when the presenters have a bad idea, have few, if any, sales, few prospects for more, and sometimes plan to re-mortgage their house to maintain their dream of being a successful entrepreneur.

The Dragons try to advise the person to stop, but most are determined to carry on. They know the history of the Dragons: many came from poverty and, against all odds and nay-sayers, achieved enormous wealth.

These presenters are failing to factor in one critical component: the Dragon’s entrepreneurial life journey was not a straight line. It weaved and bobbed, forwards and backwards. If they failed, they were quick to try another version of their idea or to scrap it altogether and try something completely different.

As one Dragon said to a presenter, “I’ve had hundreds of failures, while my successes have been few and spectacular.”

Getting back to my personal reflections of dealing with failure, I’ve had a knee problem, causing me to walk with a severe limp. I’ve had knee issues all my life. I remember my new-to-me doctor giving me my first physical, asking if I played a lot of football. This, while twisting my leg in various angles at the knee. I had never played football.

I tried several home remedies, failing every time to make a significant improvement, if any at all.

When do I tell myself to give up? I’m looking at my future health for, hopefully, another 15 years or so. The stakes are high.

Before I see a physiotherapist, I keep identifying another treatment I could try. I think this one I’m currently trying is showing signs of success. My motto: Repeat what works. But because of the long-term importance of walking well, I’ve decided I’ve run out of additional ideas worth trying. No Hail Mary here.

I’m prepared to extend my don’t-give-up thinking a long way because the importance of a high quality of life is strongly supported by physical mobility.

The last example is inconsequential in the big scheme of things. I’m trying to make my own sourdough bread. I’m not sure why, but I thought it would be fun.

I checked out How-To videos on YouTube and settled on one person: Paul Hollywood, from British Baking Show fame. I had no success getting my starter to start despite my nerdy nature to follow directions, at least the first time.

So I changed a couple of variables as suggested and tried again. Nothing. I couldn’t think of what to do differently. I gave up, not on making my sourdough but on Paul. Farewell.

I viewed many more YouTube videos and settled on the ‘Turner Farm’ Channel from Nova Scotia. I liked her backstory, and her approach was different yet familiar in many ways. For example, her flour-to-water ratios were the same as those my recently dumped friend, Paul, suggested.

I had my starter jar in a consistent spot within the recommended temperature zone. I put an elastic band around the jar at the top of the dough so I could better see the growth. I checked it frequently, and after 24 hours, there was no discernible growth. Again, after another 24 hours, still nothing. The video promised this fail-proof method would show doubling by now. I had mentally given up. I calculated that I could buy a sourdough loaf from a local, family-owned bakery down the street called ‘Breadlove’ for about the same price it was costing me, excluding the several hours of my time per loaf.

Just before settling in to write a Blog on something not yet identified, I decided to throw out my failure and write to the folks at Turner Farm as my last grasp and gasp for success.

Whoa! My starter had doubled in size.

Tears flowed, and hankies were reached for. I may have fallen on my knees to thank the sourdough gods.

Please give this a bit of a think. When is it a good time to call it quits, cut your losses, and put your time and effort into something else, often called a lost opportunity cost in economics theory?

Please comment by sending me an email with your bit of a think. I am curious about your thoughts.

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glenn.walmsley@icloud.com

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