How to Best Handle the Mistakes You Make

Do you make mistakes?

If you're human like me and the rest of us, you probably do.

This week has been a week full of mistakes for me! On Sunday evening I walked into, and used, the men's bathroom instead of the women's bathroom at an event I attended (so embarrassing! In my defense, the sign was labelled 'bathroom' and not 'men's bathroom'.) Yesterday I made a mistake about a doctor's appointment I had. It was called for 9a.m. today and not 9a.m. yesterday when I showed up. I had written the appointment on the wrong date in my calendar 2 months ago! The doctor was kind and saw me anyway. Today I realized that I never sent out an email that I had written on Sunday to the business group I run (I was wondering why noone responded!) 

Basically it has been a humbling week as I am not one who generally makes mistakes like this. I will also admit that I don't like making mistakes.

How am I handling these mistakes?

There are two paths we can take to approaching our mistakes. 

We can either take the 'judger' path and get really down on ourselves and blame ourselves or others for these mistakes, or we can take the 'learner' path and approach our mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth.

When we take the judger path we tend to berate ourselves (or others), think that there is something wrong with us, and speak negatively and even abusively to ourselves (and/or to others.) Where does this get us? It's hard, if not impossible to improve or feel motivated when we are feeling like junk.

The learner path is a kinder and more realistic path. It is when we recognize what is, take responsibility for it (that's the toughest part, isn't it?!) and ask ourselves what we can learn from this mistake and/or this particular situation. The learner path isn't about lying to ourselves and denying that we made a mistake. It is about owning up and moving forward in a healthy and productive way.

Mistake are opportunities for learning and growth and when we view them in this way it makes it much easier to get up, dust ourselves off, and move forward with our heads held high. 

[Disclaimer: It's easier to get out of judger and onto the learner path when you are coming from a place of love for yourself!]

I could, like so many of us, have beaten myself up about all of the mistakes that I made this week, but I know that doing that will only get me down and into a negative funk and not anywhere positive or productive.

Instead, I have chosen to be kind to myself and get on the learner path. 

How about you?

How do you handle and approach the mistakes that you make?

I teach you how to adopt a learner path and how to love yourself in my unleashingu core coaching programs. You can find out more about how I can help you by scheduling your complimentary consultation.

In support and admiration,

~ Jenny

P.S. If you found a mistake in this email, please be kind and let me know about it. :)

?About the author:

Jenny Sassoon is a Professional Coach, Social Worker and the founder of UnleashingU! She believes that we are "successful at what we do when we are authentic to who we are" and specializes in guiding professionals, executives and entrepreneurs to direction, confidence, success and fulfillment in their career, business and relationships. Her expertise and services include professional direction coaching, leadership training and development, and relationship/communication empowerment. Jenny also volunteers as a mentor to founders and CEOs of Start-Ups through MassChallenge Israel. You can learn more about Jenny and the work that she does at unleashingu.com.