Of course there have been numerous Inventors over the centuries who have helped push human progress to the next level, I want to talk about one of those Inventors who has been sadly overlooked. His name is Wile E. Coyote.
Yes, I know it’s a cartoon character. However, he has qualities that we all need to emulate in order to be the best inventor possible. If more of us possessed his drive and willpower, who knows what levels of achievement could be achieved.
If you’ve ever watched a Road Runner cartoon, Wile E. Coyote, there’s a hidden lesson to be learned. We all know that the Coyote never catches the Road Runner. That would have ended the show if he had. I want to focus on Wile E. Coyote’s drive and creativity.
Wile E. Coyote has that special X factor that most inventors lack. Wile E. Coyote has the drive to get back up and try again and again, no matter the odds, no matter the obstacles.
Here’s a character who’s been blown up, crushed, electrocuted, hit by a train, hit by a truck, hit by a steamroller, torn in half, set on fire, fallen from all known heights, shot from a cannon, clinging to a rocket sled at At top speed, he strapped rockets to his back, his shoes, and braved countless other dangers to achieve his goal, to catch the Road Runner.
Most inventors stop at the first hurdle they encounter or the rejection letter they receive and give up. Not Wile E. Coyote. When an attempt doesn’t work out as planned, he pulls himself together, dusts himself off, and goes back to the drawing board thinking about his next plan of attack. He always comes up with a new way to achieve the same goal. This is an important lesson for inventors. If you hit a wall or receive rejection, stop, assess why you hit the wall, what your options are, formulate a new strategy, and move on. Learn from your mistakes and look for a better way to reach the goal you are looking forward to.
Look at different inventors in history. Everyone had some version of the Wile E. Coyotes X Factor. Do you think Edison made the light bulb on his first try or Alexander Graham Bell got the phone right the first time? It was all trial and error, with a heavy dose of error. Edison is said to have tried this more than 10,000 times before he hit the bulb. When asked about it, Edison claimed that he did not fail 10,000 times. He just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. That has to be the last glass half full optimistic response in history.
Do you have the determination to try something so many times to get the final result? The common thread that unites the most famous/successful inventors is that they didn’t give up. Yes, they were disappointed that things didn’t work on the first try, but they were able to see their failure and come back to the problem from another angle. If this new angle doesn’t work, they try again and again. They are constantly thinking outside the box.
Wile E. Coyote never limited himself to just one option. He used his creativity to explore every avenue available. If he failed, it only made him more determined to make the next attempt work.
That’s why I think Wile E. Coyote is the symbol of determination. No matter what you throw at him, he comes back for it again and again. He never loses hope of achieving his goal. He knows that he can achieve his goal. It just hasn’t happened yet.
This attitude is what every inventor needs to be successful. It’s so easy to get depressed about getting a “NO” and just let it all fall apart. Nobody likes rejection. Especially when it is an idea that you have and hope that it will provide you with income. What defines you as an Inventor is your response to rejection. I’m not saying just dismiss rejection. I want you to take an honest look at the rejection. Consider their comments and see if you agree or disagree with their assessment. Are there things you need to address and correct? Are you passing on the benefits of your inventions to the reviewer? Use these rejects to refine and update your invention to make it the best it can be for your next presentation.
Learning to adapt and improve are key attributes for an Inventor. The more you learn from your mistakes, the fewer mistakes you’ll make. You’ll never achieve perfection, but as our friend Wile E Coyote demonstrates, you can’t give up if you want to reach your goal.