Hands up for those who like making mistakes? I’ll take that as nobody. Unfortunately slip ups are a part of life that we just need to accept. Whilst we would all like to sail through life in a perfect little bubble, that bubble is impossible to protect. The question is how are you going to deal with the fact that perfection is sometimes just out of reach?
The good news however, is that making mistakes and failure aren’t the same thing. Even if something you tried to do didn’t work -even if it ‘failed’ spectacularly -that’s not the same thing as failure, much less the same thing as you being a failure.
So it’s time to dust yourself off and follow these steps to help yourself handle your faux pas positively.
Remind Yourself That Making a Blunder Isn’t a Failure
Mistakes happen to everyone. They’re a part of life. This is because no one among us is perfect, not even perfectionists. Making a mistake doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Even failing a test or exam doesn’t mean you failed. You only fail if you quit. That test can be retaken over and over until you pass. It’s about the determination you have to succeed.
Making Mistakes Isn’t a Reflection on Your Worth as a Person
Next, remind yourself that whatever the mistake was doesn’t reflect on who you are or your worth as a person. It was an error, an accident, not something you did deliberately, and even if you didn’t succeed at something, it has no bearing on your worth. See your blip as a bump in the road, learn and move on.
Acknowledge the Mistake
It might be tempting to pretend the mistake didn’t happen, to brush it off like it was nothing important. This might salvage the bruise to your ego, but it won’t help you learn anything, and if someone was harmed by your mistake, they deserve an apology. It’s better to hold your hands up and take responsibility, you will gain more respect in the long run.
Determine What Went Wrong
Do you know what caused the mistake? Why did it happen? What led to the issue in the first place? Was it something you did? Something you didn’t do? Were there causes beyond your control? Try to determine the root cause of the issue. That will lead you directly into the last step.
Figure Out What You Can Learn from your Error
Look there is no point in sugar coating it, messing up can be painful and very embarrassing. But every slip up is an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. Look at the mistake and the cause and see what lessons you can learn. Then, apply those lessons in the future so that you don’t make the same mistake again. Perfection isn’t always possible, but self-improvement certainly is!
