Stop digging when the location is wrong

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

During my long career as a professional soldier I’ve learned the hard way that it’s no use to make a hole deeper when it’s located at the wrong place. It equals to digging your own grave. That lesson can be expanded to many facets of decision making. Like: don´t throw good money after bad, don´t chase a lover that doesn’t want to be caught, don’t build air-castles because you will fall on your face when you try to live into them, …