Why New Projects Keep Failing? Hexagram Ding’s Six at the Beginning: You Must First Overturn the Old Cauldron

Have you ever had this kind of experience?

Every time you make up your mind to start fresh—switching jobs, launching a new project, opening a new store, or even just changing your lifestyle—you end up spinning your wheels: the new setup never takes root, while the shadow of the old way still lingers.

You write new policies, but execution falls back on the same old routines. You put together a new team, but the work style stays exactly like the old crew’s. You change your direction, but your mindset is still stuck in the past.

Wen Laoshi says it’s not your fault. You just skipped one key step: clearing out.

The first line of the Ding Hexagram (The Cauldron) is the Six at the Beginning (初六). Its line text is "鼎颠趾" (Dǐng diān zhǐ). What does it mean? The cauldron is flipped upside down, feet pointing up.

It sounds like a disaster—did the cauldron tip over? Not at all. This "flipping of the feet" is intentional: you turn the cauldron over to pour out every last bit of leftover old stuff inside.

"鼎颠趾" (Dǐng diān zhǐ) Is Not an Accident—It’s an Action

When a lot of people see "鼎颠趾" (Dǐng diān zhǐ), they think it’s inauspicious: the cauldron’s tipped over, it’s all over.

That’s not right. Wen Laoshi says this "flipping" of the Six at the Beginning in the Ding Hexagram is the most critical first step in renewal—pouring everything out clean.

If you want to cook a new dish in the cauldron, you first have to dump out the leftover scraps from last time and wash it clean. If you throw in new ingredients without cleaning it first, the flavors will mix and ruin the new dish too.

Before building something new, clearing out is the first hurdle.

This "clearing out" has three layers. First, dump out old systems—not that you scrap everything, but you first remove outdated rules and red tape to make space for the new. Second, dump out old habits: set aside your old work routines, old ways of thinking, and old patterns. Third, dump out old mindsets: get rid of thoughts like "We’ve always done it this way" or "The old method works fine, right?"

Only when all three layers are cleared can you put new things into the cauldron.

The Position of the Six at the Beginning: At the Very Bottom

The Six at the Beginning is the lowest line of the Ding Hexagram: a Yin Line in a yang position, sitting very low.

Being low has its advantages. Being at the very bottom means you’re closest to the base of the cauldron—if you want to pour things out, you have to start from this position.

The Six at the Beginning of the Ding Hexagram isn’t about "how bad you have it"—it’s about "where you should start."

Start from the very bottom.

Start from the foundation. Start from the places no one else wants to touch—the ones that feel dirty, tiring, or embarrassing.

Wen Laoshi says a lot of people have grand ambitions but lack practical skills when building something new. They jump straight to designing a perfect new system, new policy, or new model. What happens? The foundation hasn’t been cleared, so no matter how pretty the top looks, it’s just a castle in the air.

Scrub the bottom of the pot clean first, then talk about what dish to make.

"利出否" (Lì chū pǐ): Pouring Out Is for the Sake of Filling Up

There are three more characters after the line text: 利出否 (Lì chū pǐ).

"否" (pǐ) refers to what’s bad, outdated, or ready to be淘汰. "利出否" (Lì chū pǐ) means it is favorable to pour all these things out.

Think about it: when a new leader takes over a team, the first thing they usually do isn’t announcing a new strategy. It’s assessing the situation, clearing things out, and cleaning up the mess left by the previous leader. They let go of who needs to go, adjust what needs adjusting, and shut down projects that should be stopped.

This isn’t destruction—it’s making room for something new.

A friend of mine who works in catering took over a losing store. The first thing he did was replace the entire menu, saying he wanted to innovate. What happened? Old customers were unhappy, the new dishes weren’t polished yet, and after three months the losses were even worse.

Wen Laoshi says he skipped the "鼎颠趾" (Dǐng diān zhǐ) step. He didn’t first figure out and clear out the old problems before rushing to add new things. Without a foundation, the new stuff can’t stand on its own.

What’s the right approach? Flip the pot first. Figure out exactly why the store is losing money, what old customers care about most, and where the team’s problems are. Only after clearing all that out should you roll out new dishes, new services, and new operating models.

What the Six at the Beginning of the Ding Hexagram Teaches You

If you’re currently in a phase where you "want to build something new but can’t make it stick," Wen Laoshi suggests you first ask yourself: have you cleared things out?

Have you poured out all your old stuff completely? Is your old way of thinking still influencing you? Are your old habits still holding you back?

This isn’t about否定 the past—the past has its value. But the Ding Hexagram is all about renewal: pouring out the old to make room for the new. If you don’t pour out, you can’t fit anything new in.

The Six at the Beginning of the Ding Hexagram tells you that the first step in building something new isn’t "thinking"—it’s "clearing." Scrub the pot clean before you turn on the stove.

To put it even more plainly: why aren’t your new attempts working? Chances are it’s not that your direction is wrong—it’s that your foundation isn’t cleaned out properly. There’s still old stuff weighing down the bottom, so how can the new take root?

Pour out all the old stuff first, then talk about what to put in the cauldron.