A New Definition Of Success With Collin Jewett

Commission Errors

Commission are active errors when you take an action which takes you in a direction that you don’t want to go.

You could also think of it as moving you away from the goal or it moves you towards the goal but not in a straight line.

Omission Errors 

Then there’s errors of omission. This is when you don’t do something when you could have done something.

It’s an error that is caused by abstaining from taking action.

The Problem With Goal Setting

If you give yourself a definition of success that is based on achieving a goal, what’s going to happen on a subconscious level is that you’re going to start prioritizing making errors of omission over making errors of commission.

If you take no action at all then you haven’t moved away from the goal. You haven’t gone the wrong direction. So you’re actually better off by staying exactly where you are than moving backwards or risking moving backwards.

If you’re not confident that you can move forwards or directly towards the goal you’re going to avoid moving altogether.

Incentivizing RIsk Avoidance

If you’re not confident, which is normal if you’re just starting a venture, you’re not going to be that competent probably because you’re at that beginning stage of learning and so if you have those definitions of success you’re going to avoid taking action over taking wrong actions. That’s the exact opposite of what you want to be doing. 

Goals Should Orient You Not Intimidate You

The point of goals is to orient you in space and to provide a reference point.

Achieving a goal just for the sake of it will not make you feel satisfied in the long term. Goals work the best when they help you develop and get clarity in what you are doing.

The Power Of Failure

Failure is all about prioritizing making errors of commission because that’s how you can actually see what direction you’re moving in and then reflect on it.

Then make a change and tweak things along the way. It’s going to give you signs that you are going in the right direction. 

A New Definition Of Success

I define success as reflection and angular change. Conscious, angular change.

When I talk about reflection and angular change it’s a definition of success that requires me to prioritize making errors of commission over making errors of omission.

If you’re doing it consciously, it forces you to change as a person. It’s changing your orientations and direction. It’s not just gliding along with inertia without thinking about it.