Whether or not something is deemed a "failure" is dependent on when performance is measured. I signed the book deal for Atomic Habits in November 20… - James Clear

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Whether or not something is deemed a "failure" is dependent on when performance is measured.

I signed the book deal for Atomic Habits in November 2015 and it was published in October 2018. If you were to measure the performance of the book at any point during those three years, the project would have been deemed a failure. In January 2016? It was incomplete. A failure. In August 2017? Still unfinished. A failure. In February 2018? Again, a failure.

But after October 2018, it looked like a success. Same project. Different time when the outcome was measured.

This idea applies in many areas of life. You're not failing. You're just in the middle of succeeding.