No life is lived without making mistakes.
Mistakes are as common in business as they are in life.
There are small mistakes with essentially no consequences, and there are large mistakes with absolutely tremendous consequences, and there are the range of mistakes and consequences in between these extremes. The best course of action is, of course, to avoid them. Good, basic tools to avoid mistakes are thought, preparation, reflection, and action. I cannot recall even one mistake that I have made that could not have been avoided with greater attention to thought, preparation, reflection, and action. But, the true key to avoiding mistakes is when to apply which of these basic tools, and in what order to do so.