Yes, there is room for error.

"There's no room for error"

How many times have we heard this recited to us in our business adventures? We strive for perfection and shame ourselves when things go wrong, or not completely right.

Makes sense - I mean, who wants to give permission to be less than perfect? Who wants to suggest that they will accept anything less than the best? That's a instant admission that you don't care or don't have the confidence to do what you do, well.

But there's a problem here. At worst, we are creating an environment where we won't innovate, or learn. At best, we're making it really hard for anyone to get started... on anything.

If you are performing life-saving open heart surgery, or deactivating a land mine - totally, no room for error. No room for error because you only have one shot.

But marching to this mantra in our everyday lives is just - crushing.

Here's why (I'll illustrate by way of example).

For the majority of my career, I acted fast. I'd always jump in with both feet and adjust as I went.

The "no room for error" narrative was ever present and I always felt shame when I would inevitably reach the wrong answer or a dead end. But I always got there more quickly than others, and then shifted course until I eventually got to the "right" place.

Usually ahead of schedule, and in advance of my colleagues.

I carried the story around for decades that I was impulsive, didn't think things through, not thorough, etc. All the opposite of what good, academically-minded, star-student employees were supposed to be.

But weirdly, I always got great results. I ended up with all the knowledge and confidence.

One day, I took the Clifton Strengths assessment at the urging of a friend, and discovered that my top strength was being an Activator. I liked to start things, jump right in and get going.

Building on that, I realized that that is how I best learn, and how I figure out quickly what direction I need to take. I know that I will have good information as soon as I start - much better and more verifiable than if I had sat around, researching forever.

It never bothered me if I tried something and it came back wrong - I just knew I had accurate information that proved I should go in another direction. Which I would do, quickly, until I had tested everything out and arrived where I wanted to go.

If there was "no room for error", I'd still be researching, afraid to take the first step.

I'm not saving lives with my work, and I can afford to be wrong. I don't believe in failure, just the collection of more information.

My work will always be in motion, and that's OK. It is always getting better, more specific, and more helpful because I am not afraid to evolve.

This is what I love about the shift to an asset-based business. My assets are mine, and I can continue to experiment with them so they can become increasingly more valuable and aligned with my vision.

Last week, I ran a live Q&A session for the participants of the Build Your Own Gold workshop, and at the end of our session, they asked if I would put together a program where they could stay focused and intentional about their asset-building activities.

So, I asked them what they wanted and within a few hours, it was ready to go.

Now, I've got a group of business owners who can stay focused on their business growth, get bi-weekly coaching, support from their peers and access to resources and quarterly planning.

I'm so excited and can't wait to welcome more members as our program grows.

Will it stay as it is right now? No, probably not.

Will it grow? I hope so.

Will I make mistakes? Probably, but my community will give me feedback and we will adjust together.

As a result, it will be the best it can be, and will feel acutely aligned with me and my community.

So, yes. There is always room for error. I would actually argue you have to intentionally make room for error, or you risk being paralyzed in judgment and fear.

Which is definitely not good for business.?

Are you ready to build your asset-based business? Start here.