Episode #28: Five Ways To Deal With Your Mistakes

We want people to fail! That’s right, because we all know that we are the product today of all of our accumulated failures. We have learnt what works and does not work by trying something, failing and then adjusting the way we do things.

Lee Iacocca is famous for how he treated a multi million dollar failure, by one of his marketing executives at Chrysler. It was no small change and the executive in question presumed he was being called to the boss’s office to be given his marching orders. Upon entering the office he said, “I suppose you are going to fire me”. Iacocca said. “Fire you! We just spent millions educating you”.

Is that how you see you own mistakes – part of your education or do you beat yourself up? Here are 5 ways to shake off your mistakes and move forward to success.

1. Brush it off

No one is perfect. Once in a while everyone makes mistakes, it’s going to happen. Don’t spend time worrying about it, cooperate with the inevitable and focus on what you are doing. This is how we learn, so see a mistake as a stage in your education.

In high tech environments the mantra is “fail faster”, because they know how important it is to try new things when seeking breakthroughs.

Analysing the reason for the mistake, it is often because we are dealing with permanent overload and are always rushing. We don’t take the time to check because were are too wrapped up in production mode. Count mistakes as a cost of business and try to move ahead and reduce that cost factor.

2. Don’t fuss about trifles

Forget the small stuff. Perfecting something pointless or of low value makes no sense and adds little to the organisation’s efforts. If you can mentally stop obsessing about the smaller mistakes, you’ll be more focused and catch the larger ones before they happen.

Accuracy is a key thing, in some areas, so we need to flick the switch to know when we are entering a key area. When we get there we need to slow down and go for perfection for a few minutes in the day. We don’t have to be like this the whole day and beat ourselves up if we aren’t.

3. Don’t worry about the past

Shake off your mistakes and move on. Don’t live in yesterday (or tomorrow for that matter). Forget about what happened, no matter how silly or embarrassing. By letting go of the past it will help you focus on your current task. “Mistakes are building blocks for enlightenment” – think of them that way, get on the front foot and start pushing forward. Everyone is so tied up in themselves, they soon forget about you and refocus on themselves again. We might have provided some inadvertent mild relief but it doesn’t dwell in their minds. Like bad news in the media, the next day the newspaper is embracing the fish bones, vegetable peels and other garbage. The world has moved on and so should we.

4. Profit from your mistakes

So you’ve made a mistake, now figure out why you made the mistake, make a note and move on. Making even a mental note will help remind you to be more careful next time the situation comes up.

Ironically, some of the greatest breakthroughs in science and technology have come from mistakes rather than intention. In brainstorming sessions, the ridiculous ideas spark the genius ideas. You might not have gotten one without the other. See your own mistakes as sparks and catalysts to a better future.

5. Rest before you get tired

Many times silly mistakes are made simply because you are tired. Tiredness combined with making too much haste makes for a nasty combination. When we are tired, errors will pop up like weeds after rain. Make sure that you get enough sleep and sometimes it is better to tell yourself “go slower!” or “time for a break”.

Understand your best work rhythm. Winston Churchill did his best writing in the early hours of the morning after midnight, propped up with cigars and whisky. Others are at their most creative in the early part of the day up until lunchtime. If you know that about yourself, hive off that Golden Time and devote it to the creative work you need to be doing.

So key points to dealing with our mistakes:

1. Brush it off
2. Don’t fuss about trifles
3. Don’t worry about the past
4. Profit from your mistakes
5. Rest before you get tired