[This post is part of a series on “Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours.” If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.]

When I worry about a difficult choice I have to make I think of a parable.

Some martial arts students ask their teacher how he always keeps his balance. He asks what they mean. They say, well you never fall down so you must never lose your balance.

He says, on the contrary, I’m always losing my balance, but I’m also always recovering.

I try to live like that. Things are always making me lose my balance but I rarely fall. When I do I learn from it so people don’t think I fell. They end up thinking I’m superhuman because they expect everyone to fall.

I see no reason anyone else can’t do the same.

(Astute readers will see this post resembles one from six months ago. I hope you don’t mind the repetition, but I suggested the model to a client recently and it went very well so I think it bears repeating. Also, I framed that post about avoiding failure, this one about making decisions easier, which, I think, changes its meaning).

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