I don’t live very far from a lake, maybe a couple hundred yards as the crow flies. Every once in a while, I’ll find myself walking down just to wet a line. Nothing serious, nothing scheduled, just a quick walk and a few casts to see what might be on the other end.
On one of those recent walks, it hit me how fishing is a perfect analogy not for just how we spend time, but how we think about time.
Truth be told, I like catching fish more than I like fishing. If you’ve ever held a rod and reel, you probably know what I mean. There’s a difference between casting a line over and over and actually feeling the tug that makes it all worth it.
That contrast got me thinking—imagine two fishermen standing just a few feet apart on the same lake.
The first guy walks down to the lake with all his gear. Before he even casts a line, he mutters to himself, “I probably won’t catch anything today.” Still, he goes through the motions – casts, reels it in, nothing, casts again. “Yep, just as I thought—nothing.” And again. “I knew it.” It’s almost as if he’s trying to prove himself right.
Then, sure enough, he gets a bite. Reels it in, takes a quick glance, and goes, “Well, it’s about time. Not that big anyway.” Tosses it back. Casts again. “Yeah, figured that was a fluke.”
Not far away, another guy is doing the exact same thing—same lake, same weather, same rod and reel, but his mindset couldn’t be more different. Every cast? “One cast closer to a fish.” Every empty hook? “Getting closer.” When he finally gets a bite, his whole face lights up: “I knew it! What a beautiful fish!” He appreciates it, celebrates it, sends it off and casts again with the same energy: “one cast closer to the next one.”
Same activity. Same results. Totally different story. That, my friends, is perspective. That’s expectation. That’s attitude.
I think this plays out every day—in life, in business, in relationships. Have you ever noticed how two people can go through the same exact experience, and one comes out smiling while the other leaves frustrated or let down?
It’s not always the situation that makes the difference. It’s the story we tell ourselves while we’re living it.
Success, joy, and progress often have less to do with our outcomes and more to do with how we approach the effort. Are we the type to say, “I didn’t expect much anyway,” or are we the one saying, “We’re getting closer—just one cast away.”
Life is filled with thousands of casts—meetings, conversations, pitches, attempts, ideas. Most of them won’t land a fish. But some will. And the way we think about those misses will shape how we show up for the next opportunity.
Maybe it’s worth asking yourself: Which fisherman are you? Because sometimes the only difference between frustration and fulfillment is how you feel about the cast that didn’t catch anything.
Mark J Modzeleski, CFS, CLTC, AIF
President, Legacy Wealth Advisors of NY