Nicholas Fagen

Aug 26, 20225 min read

I Made a Mistake.

Updated: Nov 15, 2022

It's true.

Haven't we all?

I'm sure you have at some point!

Hell, I made a mistake last night when I fell asleep on the couch instead of my bed 😩

*adjusts sore, throbbing neck in multiple directions*

That's not really the type of "mistake" we're discussing today, though 👇🏼

Given my last post's lean toward more conversational & fun, let's dive a bit deeper today 👏🏼

That is what you readers voted for in our most recent poll, after all!

So, what type of mistakes have I made?

Jeez...

Talk about vulnerability, huh? 😅

Well...

Honestly, you name it.

✅ I overreacted.

✅ I broke a promise.

✅ I trusted someone far too soon.

✅ I overindulged in negative habits.

✅ I took something that wasn't mine.

✅ I lied to someone that I loved dearly.

✅ I chose the easy way over the right way.

✅ I listened to my brain instead of my heart.

✅ I also listened to my heart instead of my brain.

✅ I chose the happiness of others over the happiness of myself.

✅ I also chose the happiness of myself over the happiness of others.

And while I'm not particularly proud nor necessarily stating specifics, here's one thing I can say for absolute certain.

At the end of the day, I'm 100% glad that I did.

Look...

Life isn't all sunshine & rainbows 🌈

But I'm guessing you already knew that, didn't you?

What you might not know (or may have forgotten at some point) is that:

🎙️ Mistakes are part of the process 🎙️

A mistake is foundational to the person you are becoming 👏🏼

Whether that's ensuring not to run with scissors or signing a major contract of some kind, mistakes are actually essential.

And while they were admittedly once a version of yourself, it doesn't mean they should embody your entire human essence forever with any distinct shame or uncertainty!

Take me for example 👇🏼

Did you know that I released A Moment in Time waayyy prematurely?

Yup, there were months and months where I was living in constant regret.

Yes, I know my original release was for Oct 2021, but things happen, am I right?

We can't predict or control the future, no matter how much we think we can.

Lost in a rash of various emotions amidst a surprising occupational layoff, creative differences and an official separation with my once-publisher, and the death of a precious loved one, I longed for a sense of inner pride and wildly rushed through each & every final process of what it takes to publish a book.

I listened to the world instead of listening to myself 🌎

One that could've slept with ease if I had been slightly more patient 💤

The result? 🧐

💥 Unsuccessful marketing attempts left & right

💥 Cringe-worthy compilation videos and blurry stock images

💥 Revenue of less than 20% of total costs of the whole project

💥 More than a handful of typos that somehow went unnoticed (despite vigorous months of meticulous editing)

💥 Continuously draining flows of confidence until an inevitable breakdown after the timeless, commonly small artist-dreaded question: "Can I have a free copy?"

Hehehe 😅

As Homer Simpson would say: "D'oh!"

It drives me mad to think about any one of these things 😫

But guess what?

Now, I know exactly what I need to do next time 💡

I won't make the same mistakes with A Moment in Time: The 2nd Edition or Bittersweet State of Mind or anything else in the future 🤩

I've done my research and learned what works and what doesn't.

And this can work for you too! 🫵🏼

Unless, of course, you're not making any mistakes? 🤔

But, in reality, is that actually something to be proud of? 💭

Hold on...just hear me out...

To be an expert at something is awesome, don't get me wrong!

But even in Major League Baseball, you'll earn a ticket to the prestigious Hall of Fame for succeeding 30 out of every 100 at bats ⚾

In other words, you will be massively cheered on for failing 70 out of 100 times 👀

If you made 0 mistakes in your lifetime, you wouldn't be learning anything!

And therefore, you would remain stagnant without any reminiscent impressions or lessons along the journey of life.

Still not buying it? 😕

Then take it from one of my favorite actors in Robert Downey Jr. 😁

A story that many already know, but let me recap the main bullet points, for those who might not know:

👉🏼 Born in 1965 to a Hollywood household and began acting at age 5.

👉🏼 Quickly referred to by numerous critics as "the most talented of his generation" in the 1980's after working with John Hughes, Mel Gibson, Kiefer Sutherland, Rodney Dangerfield, and more.

👉🏼 Arrested for speeding along with possession of multiple illicit drug paraphernalia and an unloaded firearm in 1996.

👉🏼 Broke out of two state-of-the-art rehab facilities before standing in front of a judge in 1999 and sentenced to 36 months in prison.

👉🏼 Won a Golden Globe for first return Fox performance(s), only to be arrested once again.

👉🏼 Hired on for projects with Mel Gibson and George Clooney, paving the way for additional projects in the early 2000's.

👉🏼 Met his wife, changed his lifestyle, channeled his untamed behaviors, started his own company and had his first child.

👉🏼 Earned the role of Iron Man/Tony Stark and the rest is history...

Obviously RDJ's story is a more extreme case, but it drives home the message that mistakes are opportunities for learning and growth toward a better future.

Let's step away from my favorite Avenger for a second and shoot you another question...

Let me ask you this:

If you were to be in the exact same living scenario one year from today and nothing at all has changed, would you be happy?

Seriously, think about it for a second...

Now, keep in mind, I'm incredibly happy in my shoes that fit comfortably right now.

But if I'm still wearing them in 365 days, I'd be a tad disappointed for sure.

I genuinely believe that I should be releasing my first book with typos.

With that said, is it embarrassing?

But life is a learning process, friends!

None of us are perfect ❌

Not you, me, RDJ, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Eminem, Meryl Streep, The Rock, Bad Bunny, Harrison Ford, Marshmello, etc. etc. etc.

If I had to pick one person, though, I might lightly suggest Mr. Tom Hanks 😎

Still, in the age of social media, it might seem that others have their lives 100% in tact, but let me re-affirm for you what you hopefully already know:

Nobody is posting their failures 👍🏼

And while you may not be the main character in other people's stories, you most certainly are the main character in yours!

So don't shy away from fantasized tasks because they're "unattainable" or "daunting".

If someone tells you "That's impossible" then you'll have a killer success story 🏆

Seriously, why not give it a go?

What's the worst that could happen?

If nothing comes from you pursuing a lavish dream or two, at least you'll still have learned some valuable lessons along the way!