Correlation?

It is sometimes hard to tell if there is much correlation between how hard I try and whether the results are 'good enough'.

The downside?
Well, that could be kind of a disappointing thought. It's a little painful to invest a lot in a particular thing for no or negative return.

The upside?
Maybe I can save myself a lot of tragic effort by realizing that I'm already either good enough or not (and things will be ok one way or another) before I start. That could be a load off my shoulders.