Your 12 Shots in Life

January 30th, 2026

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I recently came across this blog post by Jessyio, and the title made me reflect: "you have 12 shots in life."

My first reaction was defensive. Twelve? That can't be right. But then I did the math myself.

If you work for 50 years and each major project takes about 4 years, you get roughly 12 meaningful attempts at building something that matters. These are the big changes, the going-all-in types, the kind where you might join a startup, launch a business, lead something big, or completely change direction.

Twelve chances to create work that leaves a mark.

Given where I am now in life, I started wondering how many shots I've already taken that actually counted. The ones where I really committed. The ones that shaped who I am now. Maybe six or seven that were real. Which means I probably have five left.

That realization changed how I think about every decision I make.

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Your 12 Shots in Life

Not all opportunities are equal

Here's what hit me hardest in Jessy's post. He talks about three forces that determine whether your shot actually works:

Timing. Location. People.

And he ranks them in that order. Timing matters most. Location second. People third.

This goes against everything we hear. We obsess over finding the right co-founder. Joining the best team. Picking the perfect career pivots.

But what really matters is this: being at the right place at the right time beats having the perfect team or the perfect plan.

I've seen this in my own career and with people I've worked with. Talented professionals stay stuck in roles that look impressive but lead nowhere. Entrepreneurs pour years into products that solve problems nobody's paying to fix. Meanwhile, someone with less experience jumps into a growing market at the right moment and their career takes off.

The difference wasn't talent. It was timing and position.

Let me break down what this actually means for how you make decisions.

Timing is everything (it's actually out of our control)

Life doesn't reward you equally for every effort. Most of your shots will fail or stay small. A few will explode beyond anything you imagined.

You don't need to be right every time. You need to be really right once or twice out of 12 shots. That's it.

You can't predict timing with logic. You can't spreadsheet your way into the perfect moment.

So how do you know when timing is on your side?

The right opportunities feel like momentum. Your gut says yes before your brain catches up. Things move faster than they should. People respond quickly. Doors open without you forcing them. You feel pulled forward instead of pushing uphill.

Position yourself where the waves are forming

You can't force timing. But you can control where you put yourself.

If you want to catch big waves, you need to be in the ocean. Sounds obvious, but most people don't do it.

Geography matters. The same idea in big cities like New York or London gets different results than the same idea in a small town. Not because small towns lack smart people. Because being in the right place has density, capital, talent, and information move faster. Opportunities spread through networks before they ever hit job boards.

Industry matters too. Some industries create natural leverage. Software scales without adding people. Media reaches millions with a small team. Other industries scale linearly; more revenue means more people, more time, more overhead.

Both can be great. But the math is different.

I couldn't move to Silicon Valley when I was starting out. I had a life in London. But I could still position myself better. I joined communities where the right conversations were happening. I built relationships with people who were one step ahead. I made my work visible so opportunities could find me. Eventually, I landed a role at Google.

You don't have to move across the world. But you do have to be intentional about where you position yourself.

What if you are not in the right place yet?

Here's what I've learned: you don't need to start with much. You just need to start building momentum.

You start with what you have, maybe it's a skill, a relationship, or just showing up consistently. You use that to create something small. That small thing opens a door to something slightly bigger. Each step builds on the last one.

Most people overestimate what they need to start and underestimate what they already have.

The time between major opportunities is where you either set yourself up or fall behind. When you're not in the middle of a big project, it's easy to coast. But that in-between time is actually when you're positioning yourself for what comes next.

Run small experiments. Build relationships with people one or two steps ahead. Position yourself closer to where things are happening.

And when you see something taking off at exactly the right moment, you move fast. You don't wait until you feel completely ready. You recognize the moment and you go.

How to know if you should take a shot

Good shots: Your gut says yes. Others see it too. You can't lose much, but you could gain everything. You'll be stronger regardless.

Bad shots: You're moving because staying still feels uncomfortable. You're the only one pushing. The risk is high and the learning is limited.

The hard part is having the discipline to wait for good ones and the courage to take them when they show up.

So where are you right now?

You have 12 shots. Maybe you've taken a few already.

If you're between shots, are you positioning yourself to catch the next wave?

You'll never feel fully ready. There will always be reasons to wait. But twelve shots isn't a lot. So why not make the most of what's left?

I have maybe 5 left. That's not depressing. It's actually quite motivating.

It means every decision matters more. It means when I see something with the right timing, in the right place, I need to move fast.

How will you use your shots?

I'd love to hear about them. Just hit reply to this newsletter.

To your success,

Laurie 🙌​
​

🎥 High Income Skills That AI Can't Replace​

If you're thinking about your next shot and wondering which skills will actually matter in an AI-driven world, check out this video on the high-income skills AI can't replace.

These are the capabilities that position you for better timing and bigger opportunities, no matter what shot you're taking.

You can watch the full video here.

Can't believe it's end of January already, you can also check out Jessy's full blog post here.