MistakesWhile interviewing a group of people for a client’s 360 Feedback process, one of the raters told me she has a rule with her team. They have to make at least one mistake a week and tell her about it. She is also bound by the same rule. She has to make at least one mistake a week and share it with the team.

Her rationale for this odd rule was interesting: she said, “If you’re not making any mistakes, you’re not stretching outside of your comfort zone. You’re not positioning yourself to learn and grow. You’re playing it way too safe.”

She has a point. You can’t improve and innovate unless you try new things – step out of the box. And, when you try something new, it’s not likely that you’ll do it perfectly, every time.

When you reach for new ideas and practices, you’re bound to meet with some successes and some learning opportunities.  But the process of reaching can be very enlivening.

The late great Mark Twain said, “There are no mistakes in life, there are only lessons to be learned…”

If you’re ready to be more creative and feel alive, not bored, take a risk. Try something new today. And, if you make a mistake, learn from it and keep moving forward.

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