The Other Half of 'You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don't Take'

Everybody loves a good old sports cliché. One of my favorites is “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Like many, it’s hard to pinpoint who actually said it first, but most agree that it was hockey great Wayne Gretzky, though Michael Jordan and even Michael Scott from The Office have been credited with the famous line.

The quote was a response to a question posed to Wayne by Hockey News editor Bob McKenzie in 1983: “You have taken a lot of shots this year?”

For added context, at the time, Wayne was on pace to record 400 shots on goal, which would have made him the second player in the NHL to pull off the feat. Unfortunately, he didn’t hit the magic number, but the quote lives on.

We all understand that if you don’t take a chance or make an attempt at something, you will not succeed or achieve a goal.

But recently, I learned it means so much more.

Last week, on the Good Listen Podcast, I chatted with actor, writer, and producer James III. I had known James for years; we were both involved in sketch and improv in New York City, but he was way better than I ever was. He formed the iconic sketch comedy group, The Astronomy Club, that would go on to create shows for Comedy Central and Netflix.

Today, he’s actively creating content with his production company, Rule of III, Inc., where he makes films and comics.

Since he was so good at actively making stuff, I asked him if he had any advice for any of us who have trouble getting started with something even though we have a good idea.

James responded, “That saying, ‘you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.’ The other half of that is that the more shots you take, the better at shooting you’ll be,” and he added, “And that side of it never really sank in for me until recently.”

Mind. Blown.

Of course, you need to take those shots at whatever you aspire to do, but probably the biggest impact on your life will be what you learn when you take those shots.

Whether it is a new business venture, screenplay, or even podcast, it’s not the actual business venture, screenplay, or even podcast, but what you learn along the way.

James wrapped up our chat by sharing his experiences with the creative process: “You go for it and really try. You have pitfalls while filming. You don’t have enough money for this, and you figure out what the budget save is. But until you do it, there’s nothing there.”

Something is better than nothing. Here are 10 steps to making sure you take your shots.

1. Make a list of ideas or goals you’ve been putting off. Getting them written down makes them feel more concrete.

2. Pick one thing from that list to focus on first. Don’t try tackling everything at once.

3. Break that goal down into smaller, manageable steps or a rough plan. Having a roadmap makes it feel less intimidating.

4. Set a deadline for taking the first small step, even if it’s just research or outlining. Creating accountability is key.

5. Find an accountability partner to check in with about your progress. Having someone to report to increases commitment.

6. Just start. As James III said, until you actually do it, there’s nothing there. Taking imperfect action is better than nothing.

7. Expect setbacks and learn from them. Use failures as data to improve for the next “shot” you take.

8. Celebrate small wins along the way. I say this a lot. The lessons compound over time as you take more shots.

9. Pay it forward by sharing your process and learnings with others once you get momentum.

10. Rinse and repeat. Once you complete one goal, return to your list and pick the next idea to take a shot at.

The key is developing the habit of continually putting yourself out there, learning from each experience, and not letting failures stop your momentum. Start small if needed, but start.

And remember, like Wayne said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” but like James says, “the more shots you take, the better at shooting you’ll be.”

Make sure to check out my entire conversation with James on Good Listen on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

On this week's episode of Good Listen, he shares his hilarious journey from Akron to the improv stage at UCB Theatre, where he formed the groundbreaking sketch group, Astronomy Club.