One of the many blessings of my life was learning Judo from Willy Cahill, the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Judo coach. One day, while standing beside him teaching the kids' class, he mentioned something about winning. 

 

He said, "Until you learn how to lose, you won't know how to win." 

 

What he meant was that when you learn not to get mad or upset but understand why you lost, you are in a better position to win the next time. Also, by losing first, you understand what it is like to win with dignity as well—without showboating, but with respect for the person you have just beaten. 

 

In jiu-jitsu, we have a saying: "Win or Learn—there is no losing." You only learn if you evaluate why you lost, then go back and work on what you lost to avoid those mistakes in the future. 

 

This mindset applies to copywriting—you often learn more about writing winners by writing losers. You can then see what didn't work, what did work, and the changes you need to make to constantly win. That is why we continually test over and over and over. 

 

At Phillips/InvestorPlace, I was privy to hundreds, if not thousands, of copywriting tests. I knew what worked, what didn't work, and how to apply that knowledge to the next effort. If you are not testing approaches, then you are not learning. 

 

Again, this applies to everything you do in life. 

 

It's really all a test. From cold-calling a potential client to negotiating a deal, with each experience, you pick up pieces of knowledge—on both the winning and the losing side—that you can apply to your next opportunity. 

 

This is why I have told my mentees, "You will hear 'no' more often than you ever hear 'yes'—because in direct mail and in life, it's always a numbers game."

 

The bottom line here is this: 

 

By understanding why you lost—whether in Judo, jiu-jitsu, copywriting, or any endeavor—and using that knowledge to improve, you position yourself to win more effectively and with greater dignity. 

 

Once you see setbacks are not failures but opportunities to grow, all you need to do is refine your approach, and achieve future victories with humility and respect.

 

To you future success, 

 

Doug D'Anna 

 

 

In judo the very first thing we teach the kids is how to land.  I remember one parent questioning that over and over with Willy.  "But I want my kid to learn how to throw first, "  Finally, Willy says, "Do you know why we teach the kids how to land first, " The parent say no.  Willy's response, "Because everyone gets thrown.