In my last post—How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy and Start Getting Things Done—I shared my five favorite productivity strategies. I tweeted the link, and it was retweeted, generating nearly five thousand hits to my website that day. I was thrilled—until I realized I’d omitted a word in my Tweet.

“How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy and Start Getting Things” was what I’d actually written, leaving off the “done” and completely changing the meaning. And, apparently, capturing the interest of thousands of people wanting to find out the secret to acquisition.

I was momentarily embarrassed. But I reminded myself of the fleeting nature of Twitter and got over it. Besides, a minor mistake had produced a serendipitous result. Maybe not a revolutionary or profitable invention, like some other legendary blunders (penicillin, the Slinky, Silly Putty, Toll House cookies, the pacemaker, dynamite, and the microwave oven, to name just a few), but an illustration nevertheless of why being overly cautious may stifle creativity.

Now if only I could actually figure out how to get things . . . The post just might go viral.