This book is a very short read and Seth makes the most of it. The topic is extremely relevant if you are in the self-improvement world. The Dip is something that every expert and leading company has survived and is the reason why most people quit soon after learning something new or starting a new pursuit.
Be #1 in your field or industry
It pays big to be the leader in your field or industry. The reason for this is because the distribution of profits is very heavily skewed in the direction of the leaders. Book authors, movies, and other industries experience this effect where sales and profits are concentrated at the top.
The Dip
The main idea of the book revolves around the concept of the Dip. The Dip occurs right after you start learning or doing something where it gets hard and you want to give up. For example, if you are learning a new language, you may find that it’s relatively easy to get started and you feel like you are progressing fast. After a few weeks though, it gets tough and your progression feels as though it stalls. This is the Dip. This is where most people give up and move on to other things.
Another example is starting a business. There’s a lot going on at the beginning. Putting the idea together, getting a website, initial promotion, etc. Then the hard part kicks in. You have to sell, get the word out, etc. It’s tough and it’s the time where most people give up.
At the beginning, when you first start something, it’s fun. You could be taking up golf or acupuncture or piloting a plane or doing chemistry—doesn’t matter; it’s interesting, and you get plenty of good feedback from the people around you.
Over the next few days and weeks, the rapid learning you experience keeps you going. Whatever your new thing is, it’s easy to stay engaged in it.
And then the Dip happens.
The Dip is the long slog between starting and mastery. A long slog that’s actually a shortcut, because it gets you where you want to go faster than any other path.
It’s not a revolutionary idea but Seth has coined an important term. It’s this concept that separates experts from anyone else. They’ve survived the tough period of time where most of us give up.
In Summary
The messaging is simple. Given that you know what the Dip is and that it exists, you have two options.
Option 1: Quit
Anything worth pursuing is hard and you have to be ready to commit the time and energy. There’s nothing wrong with quitting but quit for the right reason, not because the road is tough.
Option 2: Acknowledge the Dip and lean into it
It’s hard but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Whether it’s learning a new language, learning how to code, or becoming a CEO, you have to go all in. It’s going to be frustrating when you hit the Dip. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
Check out the book on Good Reads or Amazon