The quote “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” is most famously attributed to Wayne Gretzky, the legendary Canadian hockey player often called “The Great One.” Gretzky originally used it to describe risk and opportunity in the game — that hesitation guarantees failure, while even an imperfect attempt keeps you in play. Over the years, the line has escaped the ice rink and found a home everywhere from boardrooms to classrooms, because its message is universal: inaction is the surest form of failure.

When I first came across it, it felt cliché — one of those motivational lines printed on office posters. But as I matured in my career, I began to understand the real weight behind it. The quote isn’t about recklessness or constant action; it’s about permission — the permission to try, to ask, to speak up, to experiment, and to risk being wrong in pursuit of something right.

In the workplace, I’ve seen two kinds of hesitation: the fear of rejection and the fear of imperfection. I’ve lived both. There were times I stayed quiet in meetings, waiting for the “perfect” moment or the “perfect” idea. And in those silences, opportunities slipped by. What I eventually learned is that progress rarely rewards perfection — it rewards participation. You only learn, connect, and grow when you’re willing to step into the uncertain.

Some of the best professional outcomes I’ve experienced began with uncomfortable beginnings — pitching an unpolished idea, sending an unexpected message, or volunteering for something slightly beyond my comfort zone. Most didn’t turn into home runs, but every single one taught me something valuable. And occasionally, one changed everything.

This quote has reshaped how I approach decision-making. I no longer wait for perfect clarity before acting; I move when direction feels good enough and let momentum reveal the rest. It’s better to iterate on an attempt than to refine an intention that never leaves your head.

Over time, I’ve realized that “missing” is not the enemy — not taking the shot is. Effort can be improved, timing can be adjusted, but hesitation can only lead to regret.

So now, when I catch myself overthinking, I remind myself of Gretzky’s line — not as a call for speed, but as a reminder of courage. Because every opportunity I don’t act on is already a loss.

Fortune doesn’t favor the perfect — it favors the brave.