3 Career Lessons from a Mosquito

When you swat a mosquito away, does it give up or come back to bite you?

Mosquitoes don't know shame. They aren't fazed by failure, which allows them to experience multiple successes (bites) after a setback.

Takeaways:

• You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
• Apply to that role you were rejected from last year—with a better strategy and profile.
• Pursue different curiosities and endeavors until one sticks.

In a room full of people, mosquitoes choose and optimize their targets.

They might bite everyone at first, but eventually settle on one person—usually the most inactive person in the room with the best blood.

That person leaves with 5 - 10 bites while their peers in the same room leave with less than two bites each.

Takeaways:

• There are many opportunities, and there’s no harm in trying all of them.
• Once you know “what’s out there”, double down on those one or two opportunities that will reap the most reward for the least effort