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Be a Goldfish
One of my favorite shows is Ted Lasso. It’s a show that’s well worth your time.
But something that isn’t worth your time is dwelling on mistakes you’ve made.
In one scene on an episode of Ted Lasso, one of his players makes a mistake that results in a goal for the other team. He beats himself up over it on the pitch, and Lasso calls the player to the sideline to chat with him.
“What’s the happiest animal in the world?” asks Lasso.
The player, puzzled, says he has no idea.
“Goldfish,” Lasso replies. “You know why the goldfish is the happiest animal on earth?”
Again, the player has no clue.
“Got a 10 second memory,” answers Lasso.
Then he says one more thing before sending the player back on the pitch.
“Be a goldfish.”
I screw up all the time. I know I’m not alone in that. I bet you can think of mistakes you’ve made even as you read this sentence.
I’m not suggesting that you don’t learn from your mistakes because that’s how we grow. But don’t dwell on them. That isn’t healthy… or productive.
Being a goldfish isn’t about ignoring the past. It’s about not letting the past own the present. That’s something I come back to constantly in my own work — and it’s at the heart of how I think about time, attention, and what it means to actually be productive rather than just do productive. If that resonates, I write about it regularly. I’d love for you to follow along.
