I had just spent thousands on a marketing agency that ended up being a total bust. I watched money go down the drain over several months. The loss of money hurt, but the loss of time hurt more.

Ugh. How did I end up here – again? This was the second time I’d put months and thousands of dollars into a service provider with nothing to show for it.

Focusing on your end goal can mean you miss the signs that are right in front of you.Credit: Letch

After the worst of the emotions had passed, I reluctantly took out my journal. I had every reason to feel wronged (because I had been), outraged (because how dare they?), and self-pitying (because I’m a good person!).

But I knew I wouldn’t learn anything that way. I knew my only shot at avoiding this happening again was to figure out what I could do better next time.

I asked myself the one question I’d been avoiding. “How did I co-create this?” What was my part in it, if anything? What were my blind spots? Could I have done something differently?

Eventually, I saw it. I’d missed the signs. Their lack of initiative and attention to detail had been evident from day one. But I’d been so determined to make it work. I had been chasing........

© The Sydney Morning Herald