I hear from so many people who regret decisions they have made, whether that is in choosing a career, buying a house they could not afford or investing in GM stock. But what should we do with our “mistakes.” Is there really any other way to learn how to do the right things and ultimately find the success we are seeking?
Most of you want to be entrepreneurs. Here’s what Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad) has to say about “bad luck.” He says, “Making mistakes and becoming smarter is the job of an entrepreneur; not making mistakes is the job of an employee.”
So if you want to avoid making mistakes, just keep your job as an employee. If you want to join the exciting ranks of entrepreneurs who are living out their passions and making extraordinary income, then step up to the plate and make more mistakes.
Here are some other well-known comments about making mistakes:
“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t as all. You can be discouraged by failure — or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that’s where you will find success.”
— Thomas J. Watson, Sr. founder and former CEO of IBM
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” – George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
“He who never made a mistake never made a discovery.” – Samuel Smiles
“While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.” – Henry C. Link
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan
The secret of making mistakes isn’t to avoid ever making one again – it’s to recognize that making a mistake is not fatal! They are necessary stepping stones on your path to success.
Tags: entrepreneur, luck, michael jordan, Mistakes, robert kiyosaki
Dan Miller's Blog 
December 11, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Dan,
As I have had the pleasure of working with many multi-millionaires for the last 14 years, I have found that every single one of them, failed miserably beore succeeding. I always say every master was once a disaster. Truly an expert is someone who has made every mistake within a small field. The key to success is learning valuable lessons from each mistake.
I have found that there are 12 essential habits that lead to faith-based wealth. Trying and failing is better than not trying at all. You can’t win when you don’t play the game.
Jay Peroni, CFP
Author of The Faith-Based Millionaire
http://www.jayperoni.com
(for month of Dec. download the book for FREE)
December 12, 2008 at 5:24 am
Dan,
I love how you are constantly reinforcing positive thinking with your material! I have some issues with doubt and fear of the unknown but with each new venture I try I learn a little more and fear a little less. I don’t always know what is next but that is what makes it exciting!
December 13, 2008 at 3:48 am
How do people living on a shoestring live out their passions? ONE mistake would render me insolvent and force me back to employee subsistence mode.
December 14, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I believed the most important part of making mistakes is to learn from them, and not to repeat the same mistakes again!
Do not be afraid to make mistakes.. it is the surest and quickest way to learn.. but do not let it becomes your excuses for failures…
December 16, 2008 at 5:13 pm
To Poor Boomer,
I understand how you feel – I’ve been there. I hate to make assumptions, but you’re living on a shoestring because of decisions you’ve made, correct? (If not, forgive the assumption) I think the point is whether you have learned from the results of those decisions, and what will you do differently to become more successful?
With empathy,
H
December 16, 2008 at 6:56 pm
My philosiphy in life is that I hope I live long enough to make another mistake.
December 17, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Dan,
While I can’t agree with you more that mistakes certainly teach you lessons, they can be quite expensive. I agree with Albert above as well: mistakes teach but repeated mistakes can destroy.
Also, as for Mr. Kiyosaki, it takes far more than mistakes to differenciate an entrepreneur from an employee. Personally, I’ve been both and at this point I find being an employee very rewarding both professionally and monitarily. I can focus on the things I’m passionate about and good at and not have to worry about those things that I hated to do but were necessary to keep my business running like hiring employees, doing the accounting… etc.
My most disasterous mistakes all related to making decisions on emotion – it took me a lot of time and money to figure out that’s what happened. And while, yes, I learned a great deal, I surely wish I could have learned it a different way.