Fall 7 Times, Get Up 8

Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight

There’s a Japanese proverb I’ve always appreciated: “Fall down seven times, get up eight.”

It’s simple. But it captures something I believe is essential — in both life and business.

Setbacks are inevitable. The question isn’t whether you’ll face them. The question is how you respond when you do.

Do you stay down?

Or do you get back up and move forward?

Setbacks Are Part of the Process

Over the course of my career, I’ve seen projects that didn’t go as planned. Deals that hit unexpected roadblocks.  Opportunities that didn’t materialize. Moments when the answer was simply “no.”

Early on, those moments can feel defining.

But over time, you start to realize they’re not the end of the story.

They’re part of it.

Each challenge becomes a reminder to adjust, to learn, and to refine your approach. They force you to evaluate what’s working — and what isn’t.

They build perspective.

Resilience Is a Choice

Resilience isn’t about pretending obstacles don’t exist.

It’s about facing them directly.

It’s choosing not to let a setback dictate your trajectory. It’s deciding that one difficult season, one lost opportunity, or one mistake doesn’t define the outcome.

In leadership, resilience sets the tone. Your team takes cues from how you handle pressure, disappointment, and uncertainty.

If you stay steady, they do too.

The Bigger Picture

When I look back, the most valuable lessons didn’t come from the easy wins.

They came from the moments that required persistence.

The setbacks.
The pivots.
The course corrections.

That mindset — get back up one more time than you fall — is something I try to bring into my work, my leadership, and my personal life every day.

Because progress isn’t about avoiding the fall.

It’s about getting up again.

Mike Cosgrove

President, PCIA