The best way to succeed at anything – but especially writing – is to try things and make mistakes.

However, not all mistakes are equal. New mistakes are better.

When you try something new ask yourself this:

If I try this and it is a mistake will it be a new mistake or only new to me?

If the mistake is new to you, you will learn something. Fail faster. Get to the next mistake like all good messy writers do. But better is to find mistakes no one has made before while avoiding or minimising mistakes you and others have already made.

If you allow yourself to make brand new mistakes, you allow yourself to innovate.

The mistake I am playing with this week is writing shorter, punchier blog posts with just one solid idea in them. It could take or it could allow me to share more ideas faster. I don’t know, but I am making new mistakes. Make some with me.

Remember, failure is not fatal.