5 Ways to Turn Mistakes into Growth Lessons

We're at the close of Q1 heading into Q2 of the year, and it's always a good opportunity to reflect.

This was written much earlier this month but this past weekend shows - mistakes can be made by anyone. Even ...Oscar winners. (Anyone catch that? -sarcasm-)

A moment of weakness or lapse of judgement can eclipse 30 years of class and an impressive resume. If you let it. How do we turn mistakes into growth and become stronger, smarter, more capable, people?

“Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts.” - Nikki Giovanni

1. ACCEPT YOUR MISTAKES

It’s common for people to cover their mistakes often due to shame or guilt. The potential to learn and grow from your actions can actually diminish when we're not conscious and get stuck in the guilty feelings.

The first step to learning from your mistakes is accepting that you made the mistake in the first place. Admitting fault shows maturity and it will help you not repeat the errors again.?

2. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Some mistakes are small lapses in judgment, forgetfulness, and one-off instances. Other times mistakes accumulate from daily neglect. As Jim Rohn might say, "what's easy to do is also easy NOT to do."

Taking responsibility looks like:

• Making an apology - verbal acknowledgement of what went wrong, what harm the mistake caused.
• Making a commitment - to others (or yourself). Here's where you can state how you can be counted on in the future, or what you will do differently.

3. ANALYZE YOUR MISTAKES

If you grew up with video games as a kid, you've learned once you rank out in Super Mario Kart. You start at the beginning again. It's the same every time.

Except you're not starting over, you're starting BETTER. You naturally learn what to do differently. Some people forget this ability in life and career.

Ask yourself questions such as, “Where did I go wrong?”, “At what point did I mess up?”, “what would I do differently?” can help you not repeat your mistakes.??

Analyzing mistakes is essential because it helps you to literally go back to the drawing board. Think of it like tracking your steps backward. It is one of the best ways to take lessons from your errors.

4. PRACTICE THE LESSONS AND BUILD SYSTEMS AROUND IT

Practice makes progress. Systems makes life simple.

Learning your mistakes is one thing but implementing those lessons is another. Often, people will repeat the same mistake repeatedly due to their lack of implementing lessons learned. Sometimes it's called being lazy. Sometimes it's called being neglectful.

Either way. Practice and make systems.

If a mistake happened because you couldn’t plan your time properly, try to use online time planners or reminders on your phone. If a mistake happened because you were overwhelmed and burned out, set reminders for screen breaks, meditation, or schedule deep work sessions.

Ensure to practice the lessons over and over until they become a habit. You’ll find that you won’t repeat these errors in the future.

5. CHECK ON YOUR PROGRESS

Now that you’ve started practicing the lessons learned, start this process over again. What’s working and what isn’t? Review your progress and change tactics if needed. There are always different methods of approaching a problem. You’ll find something that works for you.

I've always found, you can also find mentors to walk with you and hold you accountable for your mistakes.

In short,

Mistakes are inevitable in life. How you decide to move past the errors will determine whether you learn from them or continue repeating them. These five ways can help you turn your mistakes into lessons.

After all, we are humans, and none of us is immune from mistakes.

Just saying.

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