Definition
Course correction is the small adjustment a goal-seeking system makes to bring itself back toward its target after a deviation. A torpedo wandering left of its target turns right; a hiker drifting downhill traverses uphill; a person realizing they have been short with their family softens their tone in the next sentence. The corrections are small, frequent, and continuous — that is what makes them effective.
Maltz argued that life consists almost entirely of course corrections. Nothing is held exactly on course at any moment; the appearance of straight-line progress is a long series of overlapping micro-adjustments. The skill is not to avoid drift but to notice and correct it cheaply.
Why it matters
How it works
The loop has three steps: detect error, adjust, re-measure. The first time through, the correction is approximate — likely overshooting or undershooting. The next measurement reveals new error, which prompts a smaller adjustment. Over time the oscillation damps and the path tightens around the target.
The implication for personal change is unromantic but freeing: progress is not made by heroic effort followed by relapse. It is made by reducing the gap between detecting drift and acting on it. A person who corrects within minutes will outperform one who corrects within weeks, regardless of motivation level.