Setbacks, Skunks, and Scotland (2 Min Read) | Vol. 173

PSA: Before we dive into today’s story: if you’ve been chasing the same goal for too long and it’s still not done, come to Austin November 8-9. We’re hosting The ONE Thing Summit—two days of real implementation work to help you get clear and finally follow through. Tickets are almost sold out. Click here to get yours now.

October 17, 2025

“Being challenged in life is inevitable. Being defeated is optional.” – Roger Crawford

Setbacks, Skunks, and Scotland

My bag ditched me in Heathrow during our summer trip to Scotland. British Airways eventually located it, but their ground game was lacking. For a week, I lived out of a shopping bag wearing outlet store roulette. Using my AirTag, we played detective and traced the wayward luggage to a warehouse in Glasgow—where we found it the day before we left Scotland.

I’ll never take fresh socks for granted again.

Last month, a skunk sprayed our dog. Three times. Each incident earned Taco a full “spa day” in our backyard—a nose-pinching, hour-long ordeal.

The point? Setbacks are unavoidable. Whether they set us back depends on us.

I can be meticulous. I had thoughtfully packed my favorite fall clothes for Scotland. I get few opportunities to wear sweaters and flannels in Texas. Losing it was genuinely disappointing. Hunting for replacement outfits in unfamiliar stores was inconvenient. I wanted to rant and stew. But the cost of indulging that frustration? Potentially ruining great memories with my family. I chose fun instead. The great scotch helped.

Same with Pepé Le Pew. I cannot overstate that there is never a convenient time to de-skunk your dog. I was late for work. I washed loads of towels. The house still smells like sulfur when it rains. But why let one unpleasant hour ruin a day? It’s not worth it.

So, we soldiered on.

Next time an unexpected unpleasantness ambushes you, remember the tradeoff. Most setbacks are just speed bumps. They aren’t worth getting into a lather over—even if you’re literally lathering a stinky pup.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: If I reframe my biggest current frustration as a speed bump instead of a roadblock, how would my response change?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
Co-author of The ONE Thing, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent & author of The Rookie Real Estate Agent