The GMAT Principle
Why Early Wins and Knowing When to Move On Matter in Life
Anyone who has prepared for the GMAT knows its infamous adaptive scoring system. Unlike traditional tests, the GMAT adjusts its difficulty based on your performance. Answer correctly, and you'll face harder questions worth more points. Answer incorrectly, and you'll get easier questions worth fewer points.
But there's a hidden lesson in this testing method that applies perfectly to how we select and pursue projects in our lives.
The Early Win Advantage
On the GMAT, your performance on early questions significantly impacts your scoring trajectory. Start strong, and you quickly advance to higher-value questions. The test places you on a "high track" where every correct answer yields greater rewards.
Life works similarly. The projects we choose early in our careers or ventures often determine which opportunities become available later. Early successes build credibility, open doors, and place us on more advantageous paths. An impressive early project completion can position you for higher-stakes assignments with greater rewards.
The Cost of Perfectionism
Here's where the GMAT gets truly insidious - and instructive. The test is timed, forcing you to make strategic decisions about resource allocation (your time). Spend too long perfecting an answer to a difficult question, and you might run out of time for several easier questions later.
Sound familiar?
In life, perfectionism on a single project can prevent us from completing other valuable opportunities. We've seen talented professionals spend years perfecting a single initiative while peers who launched several "good enough" projects advanced further. The opportunity cost of perfectionism is real.
When to Cut Your Losses
On the GMAT, one of the hardest skills to master is knowing when to make an educated guess and move on. The highest scorers aren't necessarily those who answer every question correctly, but those who strategically allocate their limited time.
Similarly, in careers and business, sometimes the wisest decision is to recognize when a project has become a quagmire. The courage to say "this isn't working" and redirect resources to more promising ventures distinguishes successful professionals from those who remain stuck.
The Adaptive Algorithm of Life
Just as the GMAT algorithm adjusts based on your performance, life presents different opportunities based on your past choices and successes. Early wins place you on higher trajectories where bigger opportunities become available.
But remember - the algorithm is always running. A string of incomplete projects or failures can downgrade your path, while consistent completion, even of moderate successes, keeps you trending upward.
Finding Your Balance
The most successful GMAT test-takers find a balance between careful consideration and forward momentum. They don't rush carelessly, but they recognize when diminishing returns have set in on a difficult question.
In life and work, this translates to thoughtful project selection coupled with the discipline to ship. Better to complete 80% of three valuable projects than to perfect every detail of just one.
The Takeaway
Next time you're deciding which projects to pursue or whether to continue with a struggling initiative, remember the GMAT principle: Early wins matter. Completion matters. And sometimes, knowing when to move on is the most important skill of all.
The timing algorithm is always running. Choose wisely.