The front cover of the latest issue of Fortune Magazine states, "Retire Rich, 50 Great Stocks and Funds." On it is a picture of an older man with gray hair holding hands with a beautiful, young woman of about 30, standing on a sailboat in an exotic, warm location like the Caribbean.
The implied message is: Invest in these sure-fire stocks, and you too can have a 50-foot sailboat, a great tan, free time and a trophy wife half your age.
I don't know why, but the standard way to educate people or dispense advice now is by promising magical, guaranteed formulas for astronomical success. This Fortune cover is just one example. Walk down the business, self-help or magazine aisle at Barnes & Noble and you will see many more. Follow these 4 steps or buy these 50 stocks or do these 8 things and - like a genie popping out of a bottle - your wildest dreams will materialize. While there is insight and good advice in many of these materials, the packaging leads people to believe they are sure-fire, trouble-free programs, like a magical elixir or fountain of youth. They promise too much, on one hand, and oversimplify on the other.
So I would like to offer an alternative formula for success, whether in marketing, business or life: If you want to achieve anything new and great, you must make 1,000 mistakes. The faster you can make those 1,000 mistakes (and correct them), the faster and more likely your vision will materialize.
In part 2 of this post, I'll explain what I mean...
P.S. Tip of the hat to Brian Fretwell at Defining Victory for a conversation that inspired this post.
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