Addition By Non-Subtraction
Whenever we talk about finding success in business, personal finance, careers, or any other area, we think in terms of achievements:
Grow revenue by x%
Get a new promotion
Pay off $y of debt
Gain a new client
Save/invest $z
Achievements feel good. Achievements are pat-on-the-back worthy. Achievements are a tangible signal that we are winning. While I'm all for achievements, I think we underestimate the role of mistakes—or, in more specific terms, our ability to avoid mistakes. Take the U.S. women's rugby team, for example.
Attempting to win its first medal in Olympic history, our women's rugby team found themselves in the bronze medal match, trailing Australia by one try (think touchdown) with just a few seconds remaining. Alex Sedrick attacks the defense in what appears to be an uneventful and unsuccessful play, but something happens. The defense, which had played stunningly well up to that point, missed a tackle. They made a critical mistake. Alex, with her newfound opportunity, sprints the length of the field to make history - and create an iconic moment that will go down in U.S. Olympic history. Australia had made so much positive progress, inch by inch, tackle by tackle, and were mere seconds from taking home a medal. Then, sadly for them, one mistake unwound all that progress. It was equally heartbreaking as it was euphoric.
We can land achievement after achievement after achievement, but if we make critical mistakes along the way, it can easily sabotage any progress we've earned. In a battle for excellence, mistakes are the x-factor that often determines success or failure.
I've seen this with my own life, my own businesses, and the lives/businesses I have the honor of coaching. If we can first commit to eliminating the crushing mistakes, it allows us to stack achievements and progress ourselves down the inevitable path of success.
This is something TJ and I talk about daily as it relates to Northern Vessel. Northern Vessel has been built on a mountain of mistakes. In a lot of ways, we've succeeded despite our mistakes. However, if we want to take things to the next level, it's not about finding new achievements. Rather, it's about eliminating mistakes and practicing the art of excellence. I've already blocked out the book that TJ and I will eventually write together, and the main theme will be failure.
For Northern Vessel, the only way forward is to dodge mistakes. That's the only way for excellence to carry us into a new chapter. Your lives and your businesses are no different. We must avoid the big mistakes. We must stop shooting ourselves in the foot every time we start gaining positive momentum.
Over the next week, I challenge you to look in the mirror and assess where you're most vulnerable to hurtful mistakes. Some of you already know exactly what that is. Others may need to dive a bit deeper to understand where you're exposing yourself to the most risk. Avoiding that next big mistake may be the biggest turning point of your life!
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