How to Learn from Your Mistakes to Make Better Decisions

We all make many decisions every day, and we often try to make them quickly, thinking that fast decisions are the most efficient. But real efficiency sometimes requires us to slow down, be mindful, and reflect on decisions that didn’t go as planned. It’s common to avoid looking back at mistakes because it can be uncomfortable, but doing so is crucial for making better decisions in the future.

Our past decisions hold valuable lessons. By thinking of them as a source of information, we can learn about the assumptions and biases that may be leading us astray. These lessons can help us improve our decision-making process and feel more confident in making choices that lead to better outcomes. Here are six simple questions to guide you in applying what you’ve learned from past decisions to your current challenges.

1. What decision are you making right now?

The first step in making a smart decision is to clearly understand the problem you’re trying to solve. This may seem easy, but many people jump straight to finding solutions without fully understanding the issue. If you don’t take the time to define the problem, you may end up solving the wrong one.

For example, a leader was struggling to hire a new team member after two failed attempts. At first, they thought the problem was simply finding someone who would stay in the role long-term. However, the real issue was that the hiring process itself needed improvement.

2. What’s stressful about this decision, and how do you usually handle it?

Making decisions can be stressful, and stress can make it harder to think clearly. When we feel overwhelmed, we often fall back on our old habits or ways of thinking, which might not be helpful. By identifying what’s making a decision stressful, you can begin to see what might be influencing your choices.

For example, after two failed hires, the leader was worried about making the same mistake again. This fear led them to consider only candidates with very specific qualifications. Recognizing this fear allowed them to rethink their approach and explore a wider pool of applicants.

3. What past decisions didn’t go well? Why?

To improve your decisions, you need to look at past choices that didn’t work out. By doing this, you can understand what went wrong and start to change the way you make decisions.

In this case, the leader reviewed the two recent hires that didn’t work out. One was hired without the necessary experience, while the other had poor communication skills, which were overlooked during the hiring process.

4. What assumptions did you make that might have led to the outcome?

Every decision is based on certain assumptions. Sometimes, those assumptions can be wrong. By looking back with a clear mind, you can spot these assumptions and learn from them.

For the leader, the initial assumption was that the large number of candidates was the problem. But after reflecting, it became clear that the real issue was how candidates were interviewed and evaluated. They had missed important warning signs, like poor communication, during the hiring process.

5. How can you use what you’ve learned to improve your current decision?

Once you’ve learned from your past decisions, it’s time to use those lessons to improve your current situation. This step helps you avoid repeating the same mistakes and ensures a better outcome.

In this case, the leader decided to cast a wider net for candidates but to improve the interview and reference-checking process. By asking better questions and doing more thorough checks, they could better assess if candidates were truly a good fit for the role.

6. What is your solution now?

After reflecting on your past mistakes and applying the lessons learned, you should feel more confident about your next steps. Your new solution should be based on the knowledge you’ve gained, giving you a better chance of success.

For the leader, the solution was clear: keep the search wide, but conduct deeper interviews and reference checks to make sure the next hire would be the right one. With these changes, they felt more confident about the upcoming hiring decision.

Conclusion

Taking time to reflect on past decisions, especially the ones that didn’t work out, can help you make better choices in the future. Even though it can be uncomfortable to look back at mistakes, doing so will help you see patterns, change unhelpful habits, and make more thoughtful decisions moving forward. By asking yourself the right questions and learning from your past, you can make better decisions with greater confidence.