### 3.4.6 DON'T MAKE MISTAKES

There are places where errors are inappropriate, but the germinal phase of the creative process isn't one of them. Errors are a sign that you are diverging from the well travelled path. If you're not failing every now and then, it's a sign you're not being very innovative.

If you make an error, use it as stepping stone to a new idea you might not have otherwise discovered.

Differentiate between errors of "commission" and those of "omission". The latter can be more costly than the former. If you're not making many errors, you might ask yourself, "How many opportunities am I missing by not being more aggressive?"

Strengthen your "risk muscle". Everyone has one, but you have to exercise it or else it will atrophy. Make it a point to take at least one risk every twenty-four hours.

Remember these two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you an opportunity to try a new approach.