Always a next one

Whatever we do for the first time often teaches us how to do it again another time.

Or in other cases, how not to.

Our first project teaches us how to build the next.

Our first job lays the foundation for how to navigate the next.

The first time we build, we earn experiences that are often useful for the next time we build.

The first time we hire someone, we learn how to do the next one better.

Our first marriage teaches us how to do the next one better. Even if it's with the same person. Especially so.

We learn how to trust better based on the experiences laid by the bricks of trust we've laid in all relationships we've had.

Three things to remember though;

For this to be valuable, there must be a next time.

This heuristic works a lot for creative projects. And sometimes more than that.

And finally, when the lessons aren't directly transferable, we can search for underlying principles. Those often are.