17 Dec 2025 · 3 min
Brian Johnson explains Phil Stutz and Ray Dalio's spiraling-loops model, where you fail, learn, and improve in cycles toward big goals. Dalio calls this feeling a "mistake-learner's high." The point: love the process of getting better, not just the destination.
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Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one. In our last plus one, we talked about Phil Stutz's great phrase endlessly evolving process Process. Phil likes to draw upward spiraling loops to describe the flow of evolving into the best version of ourselves. In fact, his spiraling loops are almost identical to Ray Dalio's spiraling loops. Remember his we unpacked his five Steps to Success model not too long ago. Here's the super quick recap. You start with an audacious goal. Then you fail. Then you figure out why you failed. Then you design a better solution to your challenge. Then you get to work on the solution. Then you spiral up and repeat that process of evolving into a slightly better version of you. For how long? Endlessly. Now, Dalio tells us that it's really important to fall in love with that process, especially the part most people shy away from that whole failing part. But insert whiny voice. Can't I just evolve without all those mistakes? Insert laughter from all philosophers ever. No, you can't. Therefore, the wisest among us, with Dalio in the lead on this one, tell us that we want to fall so in love with the process of making mistakes and then getting a little better that we're kind of like a runner who hits a certain point during his or her run where the pain goes away and the runner's high takes over. Dalio calls this the mistake learner's high. You're so engaged in the dynamic process of optimizing that you love the mistakes, knowing that they're just part of the process of going after something audacious and the perfect data and fuel to optimize just a little more today. And we all know that it's all about aggregating and compounding those tiny little gains over an extended period of time, right? So today's plus one. Have you made any mistakes lately? Can you see how those mistakes are an essential part of your endlessly evolving process of achieving your audacious goals? Fantastic. Keep that in mind today and tomorrow and the day after that. Enjoy your mistake Learners High.
Isn't it a bit odd that we went from math to science to history, but somehow missed the class on how to live? For some wacky reason, optimal living 101 never made the schedule. Of course, it's too late to go back and change that, and you're too busy to read full time to catch up. But if you're like us, you're all about optimizing your life and actualizing your potential. So imagine this. Imagine having someone read the best books.
On how to optimize your life and.
Pull out the big ideas that can really change your life. You know those sections you underline and asterisks and mark all up? Then imagine that guy me connecting those awesome ideas to other great books and helping you actually apply the wisdom to your life today. Well, that's what I do with something we call Philosopher's Notes where I've distilled hundreds of great books into 20 minute super practical summaries. Then imagine me taking the absolute best big ideas from those great books and sharing them with you in hour long Optimal Living 101 classes on everything from productivity, purpose and confidence to nutrition, goal setting and conquering procrastination. Helping you optimize every facet of your life so you can actualize your potential. You've got a personal trainer. I'm kind of like your personal philosopher. Ancient wisdom plus modern science plus practical tools. That's what our optimized membership program is all about. If you're feeling it, we'd love to have you join us.
