I just saw a really cool movie called “About Time.” It was not a big block buster so you may not have heard of it. The premise is that our hero discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. In other words he can have a “Mulligan” on his day-to-day decisions. This leads to some interesting scenarios as like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day” he can relive his important decisions and learn from them and do better the next time. Wouldn’t that be nice in our business?

Most of us have had that one appointment that we wish we could have back. Truth is every appointment is a learning experience. We can always learn and improve if we take the time after each appointment to document what we said and how the appointment went. If we do this consistently the next time we are in the same situation it will be easier to say the right thing.

For sure we would all like the power to go back and right our wrongs. But was our mistake this bad? Next time you rue one of the couldashouldawoulda missteps every producer inevitably makes, know that your fumble can’t possibly be worse than these three, recently rated the biggest business goofs of all time by BusinessInsider.com:

1. Passing on Google.

In the Mid ’90’s, Google’s founders offered their startup to Excite.com for $750,000. No sale. Excite’s stock shortly tanked, while Google is now valued at $340 billion on $60 billion in annual sales.

2. Saying “thanks but no thanks” to the Beatles.

In 1961, Decca Records decided against signing up the Fab Four, reasoning that guitar bands were a passing fad.

3. Failing to patent the oil drill.

Back in 1858, Edwin Drake invented the drive-pipe system on which the entire oil drilling industry has been based ever since. He never registered his revolutionary innovation with the Patent Office.