 Tips for Effectively Dealing with Mistakes
Apologize with Dignity
If you've made mistakes that harm other people, it is important to offer a dignified apology. Be clear that it was an unfortunate incident that will not be repeated. A good apology can go along way to restoring trust.
If you don't apologize, out of embarrassment or unwillingness, the offended person will hold it against you. If your apology is sincere, the other person is likely to forgive you.
It is more effective to apologize in person, rather than through a curt email. However, once you have apologized, it is mistake to repeatedly say sorry for the same mistake. Some people keep apologizing over and over again. This becomes irritating. It is better to sincerely apologize once and then move on.
Don't be a Perfectionist
If you go through life afraid to make a mistake, you'll spend most of your life doing absolutely nothing. There is no harm in making mistakes, it is an essential part of going forward. The more responsibility you take on, the more likely you will make mistakes.
If you feel the need to avoid mistakes at all costs, it becomes a psychological barrier to taking risks -- you will tend to work within the context of an extreme perfectionist. Mistakes will then manifest as failures -- negatively impacting your self confidence and self esteem.
Give yourself permission to make mistakes and release any tendencies toward dysfunctional levels of perfectionism.
Don't Waste Time Trying to Justify Mistakes
Unfortunately, it is our natural instinct to try to justify our actions. When you make a mistake, the initial reaction is to blame someone else. When mistakes are made, the harmed party is unlikely to be interested in justifications.
We justify mistakes for the sake of our ego. Sometimes it is best to say, very simply .... yes, I made a mistake and I am sorry.
Understand Why The Mistake Occurred
Mistakes occur for various reasons. To avoid repeating them, you need to understand the underlying reason. Unless you spend the time and effort to reflect on your mistake and identify the reason(s) the mistake was made, you'll find yourself repeating the same mistake over and over.
Make a personal resolution to ALWAYS learn from your mistakes. What action(s) could you have taken or avoided to prevent the mistake from happening in the first place? What will you do different next time?
Avoid Repeating Mistakes
You should avoid feeling guilty about making mistakes, but at the same time, you should make a resolution to learn from them. If you repeat the same mistakes, it shows you aren't making progress and causes repeated suffering.
Often mistakes are caused by bad habits. To avoid making the same mistakes you need to break those bad habits. This requires careful consideration and sustained effort to change your way of thinking. However, the sooner you change your habits, the sooner you will avoid making the same mistakes.
Mistakes are Opportunities to Learn
From your own mistakes you can gain wisdom and accelerate self-improvement. Mistakes, because of their relationship with risk taking, are essential to success. The important thing is to view mistakes as a useful stepping stone to personal development and better outlook on life.
Source: November 15th, 2007 by Tejvan Pettinger |
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Quotes to Inspire
Albert Einstein:
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
Oscar Wilde:
"Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes."
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