The Art of Embracing Failure: What Joey Votto’s 1-for-3 Night Teaches Us About Success
There’s a story about Joey Votto that’s been making the rounds, and it’s stuck with me in a way few sports anecdotes do. On the surface, it’s about a baseball player who preferred a 1-for-3 night to a 3-for-3 night. But if you take a step back and think about it, it’s really about something far deeper: the difference between chasing results and mastering a process.
Votto, a Hall of Fame-caliber hitter, once told his coach that a three-hit night felt like a failure. Why? Because the hits were all the same—weak grounders that just happened to find gaps. The next night, he went 1-for-3, but the hits were intentional, the outs were hard-hit, and he walked away feeling accomplished. Personally, I think this is where Votto’s genius lies. He wasn’t just playing the game; he was playing the odds.
What makes this particularly fascinating is how counterintuitive it feels. In a world obsessed with outcomes—wins, losses, stats—Votto was fixated on the process. He understood that a single night’s results are a poor measure of long-term success. It’s like judging a book by its first chapter. What many people don’t realize is that this mindset isn’t just applicable to baseball; it’s a universal truth. Whether you’re an athlete, an entrepreneur, or an artist, the process is what sustains you. Results are fleeting.
One thing that immediately stands out is how Votto’s approach mirrors the philosophy of poker legend Annie Duke. In her book Thinking in Bets, Duke talks about ‘resulting’—confusing the quality of a decision with the luck of the outcome. It’s a trap we all fall into. We celebrate wins without questioning the strategy behind them, and we berate ourselves for losses that were out of our control. Votto, however, was immune to this. He separated the emotional high of a good result from the intellectual satisfaction of a good process.
From my perspective, this is where sports become a metaphor for life. Baseball, in particular, is a game of failure. Even the best hitters fail two out of three times. But it’s how you fail that matters. A detail that I find especially interesting is how Votto’s ‘outs’ were harder hit than his ‘hits.’ This isn’t just about baseball; it’s about resilience, intention, and trust in your method.
This raises a deeper question: How often do we let short-term results dictate our long-term strategies? In business, we chase quarterly earnings instead of building sustainable models. In relationships, we prioritize immediate gratification over lasting connection. Votto’s story is a reminder that the most meaningful successes are often born from intentional failures.
What this really suggests is that we need to redefine what ‘winning’ means. Is it about the scoreboard, or is it about the growth, the discipline, the mastery? Votto’s 1-for-3 night wasn’t just a game; it was a masterclass in perspective.
The Broader Implications: Beyond the Diamond
If you expand this idea beyond sports, it’s clear that Votto’s mindset is a blueprint for any field. In tech, for example, companies that prioritize innovation over quarterly profits often end up dominating the market. In education, students who focus on understanding concepts rather than acing tests tend to thrive in the long run.
A surprising angle here is the psychological aspect. Votto’s ability to detach from results is a form of mental resilience. It’s not about being emotionless; it’s about not letting emotions cloud judgment. This is something we could all learn from, especially in an era where instant gratification is the norm.
Final Thoughts: The Power of Intentional Failure
As I reflect on Votto’s story, I’m reminded of a quote by Thomas Edison: ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’ Votto’s 1-for-3 night wasn’t a failure—it was a step in a process. It was intentional, calculated, and ultimately, more valuable than three lucky hits.
In my opinion, this is the real lesson: success isn’t about avoiding failure; it’s about embracing it as part of the journey. So the next time you find yourself chasing results, take a page from Votto’s book. Ask yourself: Am I focusing on the process, or am I just hoping for a lucky break? The answer might just change the game.
