It is common to see our career as a straight line going from the bottom left of the graph to the top right. I have been especially guilty of thinking that way many a time.
But the reality is more like the graph above.
It is enough to start on the bottom left and eventually end up somewhere in the top right. No need to beat ourselves up for not getting there in a straight line.
When looking at other successful people, it is natural to see them traverse a straight line. That's because everyone only broadcasts their peaks to the outside world and deal with the downward slopes on their own, learn from them and bounce back to come out and declare the next peak.
Straight lines indicate no setbacks. And when there are no setbacks, there are no learnings. There is no challenge to overcome. It is like Joker picturing the world without Batman, where he rips off mob dealers, one block at a time, and finds it so boring.
Next time you're facing a setback, remember that it is perfectly alright to not traverse a straight line.
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