How to outlast the competition

The JD Letter

April 19, 2025

Before he was Han Solo or Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.

In 1964, Ford moved to Hollywood to become an actor. "But I arrived on a metaphoric bus full of people who had the same ambition," he said.​

So he came up with a plan to outlast his competition.

As Ford spent time around other aspiring actors on the metaphoric bus, he became aware of something: most of them were in a hurry. They were in a hurry to "make it" or to make lots of money or to prove something to someone. Whatever the reason, most were on a tight timeline.

So he became a carpenter. He taught himself the necessary skills. He found the process meditative. And more importantly, it allowed him to wait out the competition.

"By doing carpentry, I was able to wait it out," he said.

Ford’s patient positioning led him to build cabinets for George Lucas, who then asked him to read lines with other actors auditioning for Star Wars. Though Ford wasn't being considered for a role initially, after reading with 300 actors, Lucas asked if he wanted to play Han Solo.

The rest is history.

Outlasting your competition. Playing the long game. Refusing to quit. Prevailing - that's the theme of today's JD Letter.

The Progression of the Water Lilies

Late in life, Claude Monet, the father of Impressionism, stood in his garden at Giverny, gazing at the pond filled with floating lilies. By then, his sight had nearly left him. Cataracts clouded his vision, transforming the world into blurry, shifting shapes.

Yet Monet painted, tirelessly.

He once said:

Monet had spent decades attempting to capture the subtle dance of sunlight on water. In his 20s and 30s, critics mocked his paintings, calling them messy, incomplete sketches.

But Monet persisted. He became obsessed with capturing the sensation of seeing.

At 73, with his eyesight fading, Monet began his most ambitious project: a series of massive murals of his water lily pond. For twelve years, he worked obsessively, creating canvases so large they filled entire rooms.

He painted through World War I, even as gunfire echoed in the distance. He painted through personal tragedy and physical pain.

When Monet died at age 86, his vast "Water Lilies" murals were installed in the Paris’ Musée de l'Orangerie.

Every visitor felt like they were stepping into his garden, surrounded by reflections of clouds, water, and light.

His lifelong pursuit of capturing the impossible was transformed into a masterpiece that immersed people in it.

And in prevailing, he forever changed the way the world experiences art.

312 Shows and No Crowd

Before selling out stadiums, Ed Sheeran spent years playing in empty rooms, busking on streets, and sleeping on friends’ couches. In 2009 alone, he played 312 shows, often performing to crowds of fewer than 10 people. Most aspiring musicians would’ve given up but Sheeran refused to quit.

Rather than seeing small crowds as failures, he viewed each tiny gig as practice and an investment in his future.

For years, Sheeran was invisible to the industry. Tons of labels rejected him. Yet he remained patient and refused to abandon his long-term vision. "Success is the best revenge for anything," Sheeran once explained. He knew perseverance would make the difference.

It seems like it was sudden when everyone recognized his success. But hardly anyone knew about the years of relentless hustle behind it. Ed Sheeran didn't "get lucky." He outlasted the thousands of others who quit along the way.

From Door-to-Door Sales to Billion-Dollar Empire

Sara Blakely's journey to founding Spanx is a masterclass in playing the long game. For seven years, she sold fax machines door-to-door, facing daily rejection. But that didn't stop her. She used her evenings to develop a prototype for footless pantyhose, aiming to solve her own personal wardrobe dilemma.​

Blakely encountered countless obstacles, including manufacturers dismissing her idea due to financial constraints. Still, she kept going and landed a meeting with Neiman Marcus, where she showed her product in person.

Her hands-on approach got Spanx into stores, and the brand soared after Oprah named it a “Favorite Thing.”

"It's important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable," Sara says.​

Blakely's commitment and refusal to quit transformed a simple idea into a billion-dollar empire. Her story underscores the significance of resilience and the rewards of playing the long game.​

There’s a Taoist principle called wu wei that means “effortless action.”

In other words, wu wei is the art of taking action without force.

Like when what you choose to do doesn't feel like an effort - because it’s aligned with who you are.

A part of me thinks that's the secret to prevailing.

Because it isn’t driven by ego or financial gain. It’s driven by clarity, and a deep rooted sense of purpose.

And when you operate from that place, it becomes easier to outlast everyone who tried to win too fast.

Finding your purpose isn't easy or finite. I believe it evolves as you do.

These two previous letters I wrote dive deeper and may be a great place to start:

• ​https://jessalmeida.com/posts/how-to-find-yourself​
• ​https://jessalmeida.com/posts/become-who-you-re-afraid-to-be​

What will set you apart from your competition is still being on the bus when everyone else has gotten off.

It's the wisdom to build a life that allows for persistence rather than demanding immediate results.

It's understanding that in a world obsessed with shortcuts, the greatest advantage is the willingness to take the long road.

You've got this.

Chat next week,

Jess

Inspire, Empower, Transform.

P.S.

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