36 in a row.

That’s a perfect 3 game set when talking about strikes in bowling. It’s called a “900 series”,throwing three, 300 games in a row. It’s been done about 50 times or so out of billions of attempts.

It’s a great analogy for skill. Plenty of good bowlers can throw 8-10 strikes a game for 24-30 strikes in a 3 game set, but almost never can they throw all 36.

With any shot we take, there is a probability. Higher skill equals better probability, but nothing is 100% unless it is truly simple, and then there is no value in it.

Growing frustration on a failed piece of art, a business that didn’t pan out, or building something that didn’t work isn’t giving yourself the right mindset.

When great bowlers don’t strike, they adjust and usually get right back to success. Same is true for life. Don’t quit. Adjust and try again. Some adjustments may be bigger than others, but figuring that out is part of the journey.

To provide a little more perspective on this, here are some of my past posts that relate:

• The right-sized opportunity
• Pizza, Possibility and Probability
• Skill and Probability
• Probabilities-based decision-making (Not a great title)

When taken together, these articles can give you a small perspective on the fact that we all have choices to make about the rewards we want, the skills we need, the amount of persuasion involved and the chance that we have in being successful. If any bowler walks in and says, “I want to shoot a 900 series tonight” they are going to be disappointed close to, if not, 100% of the time. However, if they walk in and say, “I’m going to beat my average” then they can do that more than 50% of the time (if they are improving). There is also other goals with a wide range of probabilities like:

• Highest Average for the Year
• Highest Game of the Year
• Highest Series of the Year
• Most points won in a league
• Most improved

Enough about bowling. This is about you. 36 in a row isn’t in the cards, but what about something that’s still phenomenal? There is plenty of that going around everywhere and it’s a great place to be.