"What if I make a mistake?" "What if you don't?"

Your business is on the threshold for growth and expansion. Or perhaps business is on the decline and you need growth to reach sustainability. Maybe you are faced with an unexpected opportunity. You have examined every facet of your business, including interactions with your employees, customers and vendors. You sought counsel and advice from everyone. You have played the “what if” game, trying to predict every possible outcome that might occur. Does indecision plague you? Is the fear of making the wrong choice paralyzing you? Are you so busy weighing the pros and cons that you stay where you are, “status quo?” Sorting out how to proceed may seem overwhelming. Everybody makes mistakes. Sometimes the biggest mistake is not taking a chance to explore possibilities. We spend so much time considering the negative “what ifs” that we miss the opportunity for an outcome that may exceed our most hopeful expectations. Being an entrepreneur in today’s business environment has never been more difficult or fraught with more opportunities. Persistence is not enough. You need to be willing to stretch the boundaries of your current comfort zone. It takes inner strength and courage to explore possibilities, to seek opinions from others but make decisions based on your vision of your company and its future. Jack Canfield is the Founder and CEO of Chicken Soup For The Soul Enterprises, Inc. His Chicken Soup For The Soul books are filled with insights into various people’s life experiences. He’s shown us that some of our most renowned and celebrated individuals have achieved their success because they dared to believe in themselves. Some did it despite naysayers saying they were ill-suited to achieve success in their chosen profession. Some succeeded because they had help and support. The one thing they all have in common is the willingness to take a risk even if they might make mistakes along the way. Mr. Canfield has been quoted as saying, “As you begin to take action toward the fulfillment of your goals and dreams, you must realize that not every action will be perfect. Not every action will produce the desired result. Not every action will work. Making mistakes, getting it almost right and experimenting to see what happens next are all part of the process of eventually getting it right.” “Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for a lack of ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before building Disneyland.” “Babe Ruth considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, was famous for setting a homerun record (714) also held the record for strikeouts (1330).” “RH Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught on.” “Thomas Edison had a terrific outlook regarding mistakes. Here are a couple of his most noted quotes. “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” “I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000 step process.” What others considered his mistakes and failures, he considered to be steps to success. It isn’t what others think that will ultimately make the difference. It is what you think and more importantly what you do. Successful people make mistakes. The reason they are successful is because they avoid repeating mistakes. They do their homework and evaluate where they went wrong. They don’t let mistakes, failures and challenges stop them from achieving their goals. I am hoping that you will dare to risk making a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that you take reckless chances. I am not asking you to randomly cut the red or blue wire on a bomb. Boom! One mistake then and it could cost you your life. I am talking about taking a calculated risk. If you haven’t made any mistakes for a while, you may not be giving yourself opportunities to risk, to learn, or to grow. No one enjoys making a mistake however sometimes they can provide a major learning experience. In 1985, Coca-Cola introduced New Coke. Almost instantly, management was bombarded with complaints. There was a public backlash. The American public protested. They wanted the original formula to return. On July 10, 1985, just a few months after introducing New Coke, Coca-Cola Classic hit the shelves using the old formula. Admitting you made a mistake can be very difficult. You have to give your ego permission to move on and learn from setbacks. New Coke may have been one of the biggest marketing flops in corporate history but the subsequent reintroduction of Coca-Cola Classic led to a significant gain in sales. The key is to acknowledge when you’ve made a mistake and move on. View it as an experiment that yielded useful information. Certainly, you don’t want to lose money or invest time in an effort that doesn’t work. However, in some cases, unless you make the attempt you will never know. Do your homework; know what is involved in terms of costs, manpower and time. You want to be informed. You want to take calculated risks. Ask yourself, “What is the worst that can happen if I implement this strategy or go forward with this promotion?” If you can live with the worst, then proceed and give it a try. Take a chance. Ignite your imagination. What are you afraid of? Is it that you will make a mistake or that you might succeed beyond your wildest dreams? That may sound foolish but it happens more than you might realize. We find ourselves on the threshold of a positive result and talk ourselves out of the feasibility before we even explore the possibility that our idea might work. You can be successful. Take a risk. Try out some ideas. You might make a mistake or two until you find the ones that fit. You may need to tweak them so they adapt to your unique circumstances. Ultimately, you will discover the perfect strategies that will make a positive difference. Our Deepest Fear... (From: A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles)rnMarianne Williamson, Author & Speaker “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most.rnWe ask questions, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”