Learning from mistakes is something we often don’t learn how to do until we’re a little older. Many times our mistakes can make us feel embarrassed, upset, or even downright defeated.
But we can change our perspective on mistakes. In fact, we should change our perspective on mistakes. Because in reality, our mistakes are what give us an opportunity to evolve and grow.
We don`t make mistakes, just happy little accidents
Bob Ross
Why Making Mistakes is Good.
When I was 16, I had my first job at a small, fast food joint. I had a few days of training on the register, and then I was set free on my own. The first few orders? Everything went great – nice and smooth.
But then someone requested a change. “Sorry, can I get a burger instead of a hot dog”? Oh no – now what? They never trained me on how to change an order on the register.
But as a 16-year-old starting her first job, I was afraid to ask how. So I tried to change it myself. Great. That was, until the next day, when my boss asked me why there was an extra $1000 added to the register.
I explained what happened, but it was already too late. I caused him hours and hours of extra work – and I was, you guessed it. Fired.
I was humiliated, sad, and upset. But as I look back at that moment, I know it was a period of growth for me. Why? It was a learning-from-mistakes-moment, and it taught me something.
It taught me to ask for help when I needed it. And though I didn’t realize it was teaching me something at the time, I never made that same mistake again, and ever since, I have always asked questions – lots and lots of questions.
The point? My mistake taught me a valuable life lesson that helped me in future positions (and more career-oriented positions).
Had I not made that mistake, perhaps I would have made it in the future at a job that meant more to me.
So looking back, this mistake was actually a good thing for me. As are all of my mistakes – and all of yours!
What you can learn from mistakes.
But lessons aren’t the only things that you can take when learning from mistakes. They can also teach you other things.
1) Mistakes teach us to be more compassionate towards ourselves
Instead of beating yourself up over a mistake, try looking at it from a different perspective. What would you tell a friend if they had made the same mistake? Then, try being more compassionate towards yourself. Why did you make the mistake? Were you too tired? Did you not practice enough? How can you take better care of yourself to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future?
2) Making mistakes helps us to face our fears.
Actually, it forces us to face our fears. Why? Because most people have a fear of making mistakes, but mistakes are inevitable. We will all make them. And when we do, our fears come to light. But once we move past that mistake, we often realize our fears weren’t as grand as we made them out to be. Everything works out the way it’s supposed to in the end.
Forget the mistake. Remember the lesson.
Unkown
3) Mistakes teach us to take responsibility for our actions.
Ever so often, we shift blame when a mistake was made. “It wasn’t my fault” is a common reaction. But taking responsibility for our actions can actually be quite empowering. Not only that, but it pushes us to look at how we can do better in the future.
4) Mistakes remind us that consequences have actions.
If you go out drinking the night before an exam, you could sleep through it. If you don’t study, you could fail. If you don’t prepare for your job interview, you might not get the job. Every action we make has consequences and our mistakes help to remind us of this, keeping us on a better track when making future decisions.
How can learning from mistakes help you grow?
The first step to learning from mistakes is to recognize them as an opportunity for growth. This is a concept that many people have a difficult time coming to terms with.
Often times when we make a mistake, our ego takes over. When this happens, we become defensive instead of looking at what we could do differently and recognizing it as an opportunity to grow.
Only once you recognize this opportunity will you be able to take your ego out and let growth in.
Once you understand that your mistake is an opportunity, a gift, then you can start to look at it in a different light. Ask yourself, why did you make a mistake in the first place?
What would you do differently if you had to do it all over again? What did you learn? The more questions you can answer, the better able you will be to use your mistake as a chance to grow moving forward.
And remember this quote from Adam Osborne: The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake – you can`t learn anything from being perfect.
Find here more great articles:
Respecting yourself will boost your Happiness.
Self-empowerment and how you can achieve it!
How to forgive yourself for living a better, happier life.
Acceptance of Yourself: A Beginner’s Guide.
Find here a great book about learning from mistakes:
www.amazon.com
