There’s an article in our book, 25 Ways To Revolutionize Your Virtual Assistant Business, called “Like Water Off a Duck’s Backside”. In theory, it’s all about how we need to take things that happen, learn from them, and let them go. Too often, we dwell on our mistakes. They trip us up. They make us doubt our abilities as a business owner.
John Powell, a composer who had worked on such films as Borne Identity, Much Ado About Nothing, and X-Men, states “The only real mistake is the one from what we learn nothing.”
We are going to make mistakes in life. It’s inevitable. Mel Brooks said it best when he said, “As long as the world is turning and spinning, we’re gonna be dizzy and we’re gonna make mistakes.”
Face it.
Doesn’t make those mistakes any easier to bear, does it?
However, what some of fail to realize is that everyone, even the greatest make mistakes.
Let me introduce you to Jim Marshall.
Jim Marshall is a football player who left Ohio State University before his senior year to play in the Canadian Football league. In 1960 he was the 4th round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns and the next year went to the Minnesota Vikings where he continued to play until 1979. He hold the record for consecutive starts with 270 and played in 282 consecutive games.
He was a member of the Pro Bowl team in 1968 and 1969 and recovered 29 fumbles, a record in the NFL. He’s has 127 career quarterback sacks, second most in Viking History.
However, despite the greats that Marshall had accomplished, he’s very well known for one of the most embarrassing moments in professional sports history.
On October 25, 1964, four years into his NFL career, Marshall recovered a fumble and ran 66 yards into the endzone. He threw the ball away in celebration of a touchdown.
While this may seem like something we would expect from Marshall, the problem lies within the fact that he ran the ball 66 yards into his OWN endzone, and when he threw the ball, it was out of bounds resulting in a safety for the 49ers.
And this mistake was made by “the NFL’s Greatest Iron Man.”
Need some more examples?
In 1985 the Coca Cola company released New Coke after it beat Old Coke out in taste tests. What they failed to realize is the legacy that surrounded the brand that took over a century to build. Resistance followed with many feeling as if Coca Cola was “turning their backs on their [customers] drinking preferences, their childhood, and even their way of life.”
In 1993, Pepsi introduced Crystal Pepsi, a clear version of Pepsi. Yes, there was an initial increase in sales, but sales fell misreably shortly there after. Consumers didn’t understand why they needed a clear version of the original.
My point is this.
Even the great make mistakes.
They simply learn from them and move on. So if you’re hung up right now on a mistake that you made, figure out how to prevent it from happeneing again, and let it go….just like water on a duck’s backside.
Until next time…
Heather
