I was ten years old when I first learned the lesson that I still carry today.
One moment, I was playing in the yard. Next, my brother was on the ground with an arrow in his neck.
What happened in that moment, on that day, changed how I deal with pressure and overthinking, especially as a pilot.
Let me tell you the story of how it happened.
Key Takeaways: Poison Arrow Principle
- What It Is: It’s the mindset shift based on an ancient parable: Never let the need for more information delay the action that could save or move your life forward.
- Why Overthinking Hurts: The problem isn’t the arrow, it’s the time we waste asking questions about it. The longer we stay stuck, the more damage it does.
- Pilots Are Especially at Risk: We’re trained to plan, brief, and analyze. But off the flight deck, that mindset can become a form of procrastination.
- Take the Life After the Sky Scorecard: It’s your personal pre-flight mindset check. If you’re stuck in planning or fear, this will help you cut through the noise and act.
My First Encounter With the Poisoned Arrow Principle
What’s the most reckless thing you’ve done as a child?
For me, it happened when I was just ten.
Back in the early 90s, my dad had started a security company in Kenya, Frontier International Ltd. Instead of firearms, the guards he hired were given something far more primal: bows and arrows.
One day, a large shipment of those arrows arrived and was left casually in our compound. For a couple of wide-eyed kids like my brother and me, it was irresistible.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I picked one up.
I barely managed to pull back on a bow, but I did just enough. The arrow launched across the yard and struck my brother.
Right in the neck.
I remember his stunned face and the silence before the scream. I remember him grabbing his neck and collapsing to the ground.
And I remember the pure terror that filled my chest. Had I just killed my own brother?
Later that evening, after my brother was okay and things had calmed down, my dad gathered us both. Instead of yelling or punishing us, he told us a story. One that I’ve carried with me ever since.
It was the story of The Poisoned Arrow.
The Parable of the Poisoned Arrow
He asked us something unexpected:
“Do you know what kills faster than an arrow? Overthinking the arrow”
We looked at him, confused.
He said, Imagine a man struck by a poisoned arrow. A doctor rushes in to save time, but just as he is about to remove it, the man stops him.
“Wait!” the man says. “Before you take it out, I want to know who shot me. What tribe is he from? What kind of wood was used for the bow? Was it an oak shaft or bamboo? Was it a crossbow or a longbow? And why me?”
While he sits there demanding answers, the poison spreads and kills him.
That story changed how I saw the world.
So many of us get metaphorically “hit” in life. Something painful happens. We face setbacks, rejection, uncertainty, or loss. Maybe a business idea fails. A relationship ends. An opportunity passes us by.
And instead of acting quickly, we stall.
Sound familiar?
The real damage isn’t the arrow. It’s the delay.
The Modern-Day Arrow: Information Overload
The poisoned arrow in the old parable may have been made of wood and metal…
But today, it’s made of information.
When we get hit, what do we do?
We open Google, watch YouTube videos, and scroll through LinkedIn posts. All of that in the name of being ready.
In fact, a study by Darius Foroux reveals that 88% of people admit that they procrastinate and waste at least one hour every day on repeat. This is because they don’t know how to take action.
In reality, we don’t need more information. We need more action.
Just like the man in the story, we delay removing the arrow, not because we don’t know what to do, but because it feels safer to keep researching.
We confuse learning with moving forward.
We get a hit of dopamine from reading the book, watching the expert, or listening to the podcast, but no real change happens until we take action.
The modern poisoned arrow is subtle.
It wears the mask of productivity but leads you nowhere.
The Poison Arrow Principle
The Poison Arrow Principle is simple:
Never let the need for more information delay the actions that could save or move your life forward.
We often get stuck in planning, researching, or analyzing when what we need is to make a move. The more we chase clarity, the longer we bleed.
Overthinking gives us the illusion of control. But in reality, it delays growth. And that delay can be deadly.
Why It’s Especially Dangerous for Pilots
As pilots, we’re trained to be precise. To follow checklists, brief every scenario, and anticipate “what if” scenarios. In the sky, this saves lives.
However, on the ground? That mindset can become a trap.
We get so used to preparing that we forget how to improvise. We want everything confirmed, cleared, and reviewed. But life doesn’t hand us weather charts and approach plates.
Out here, waiting too long to act can cost us the next opportunity, the new business, the needed reset.
Antidote: Use a Checklist to Clear the Fog
So, how do we break out of the overthinking loop? The same way we’d handle a surprise engine failure at FL370.
You reach for the checklist.
In the air, checklists bring structure to chaos. On the ground, they do the same. They slice through emotional noise, bring clarity to confusion, and shift our focus from “what if” to “what now.”
That’s why we created the Life After the Sky Scorecard. It’s a simple, powerful self-assessment that functions like a pre-flight checklist for your next chapter in life.
This checklist helps you:
- Cut through information overload
- Spot where you’re genuinely ready
- Identify what’s missing, and act on it
Just one clear view of where you are, and what to do next.
Because before you sign up for another webinar, enroll in another course, or spend another night scrolling…
You need to ask yourself:
What if I already know enough to take off?
Your Next Step
If you’ve ever felt stuck between planning and doing, you’re not alone.
Pilots, entrepreneurs, and high performers, all of us, crave certainty. But waiting for perfect conditions is just another version of the Poison Arrow. While we overanalyze, overplan, and overprepare… time keeps moving.
You need action, clarity, and a starting point.
That’s what the Life After the Sky Scorecard gives you.
One quick, no-mambo-jambo self-check to help you get unstuck, organize your next move, and start building what comes after flying.
Take the Scorecard and begin your next chapter, not someday, but today.
Invitation to join our FREE Strategy Session
Most pilots are one honest conversation away from clarity. This is that conversation.
Complete our “Life After the Sky” checklist, then join me for a FREE 15-minute “Strategy Session” via Zoom.
This session has been created for pilots who want to take ownership of what comes next.
Those who want action, not just to talk about it.
In just 15 minutes, we’ll:
- Review your checklist results
- Identify the one obstacle holding back your reinvention
Translate your checklist results into a clear starting point. Start your pre-flight assessment for the next chapter of your journey by Booking your free strategy session here!
