Learn From Your Mistakes…. Life Doesn’t Come with Instructions.

Making a mistake is not the same thing as "failing." A failure is the result of a wrong action, whereas a mistake usually is the wrong action. So, when you make a mistake, you can learn from it and fix it, whereas you can only learn from a failure.

Think back to the last mistake that you made at work. Even if it was a minor one, like spilling coffee on a document seconds before you were due to present it, you'll likely have felt a rush of panic and then had the inconvenience of putting things right.

No one is immune to making mistakes – we are human, after all! But if we simply apologize and carry on as before, we're in danger of repeating the same errors.

When we don't learn from our mistakes, we inflict unnecessary stress on ourselves and on others, and we risk losing people's confidence and trust in us. In this article, we look at how to ensure that we take those lessons on board, and then use what we learn.

You can't learn anything from a mistake until you admit that you've made it. So, take a deep breath and admit to yours, and then take ownership of it. Inform those who need to know, apologize, and tell them that you're working on a solution.

Saying "sorry" takes courage, but it's far better to come clean than to hide your error or, worse, to blame others for it. In the long run, people will remember your courage and integrity long after they've forgotten the original mistake.

If, however, they hear of it from another source, your reputation will suffer and you may not get another opportunity to learn.

How you view your mistakes determines the way that you react to them, and what you do next.

Chances are, you'll view your error in a purely negative light for as long as any initial shock and discomfort about it persists. But, if you can reframe your mistakes an opportunity to learn, you will motivate yourself to become more knowledgeable and resilient.

When you've acknowledged your mistake, think about what you could do to prevent it from happening again. For example, if you didn't follow a process properly, consider introducing a more robust checklist or a clearer process document.

Stop beating yourself up, pause for a moment to reflect, and start thinking about how you can gain from the situation.

Disclaimer:?The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate.

Thank you?...?Your mindset plays a significant role in how you view your mistakes and, importantly, in how you react to them.

If you have a "growth" mindset, you likely see mistakes as an opportunity to improve, and not as something that you are doomed to repeat because your mindset is "fixed" on the belief that you can't improve.

A learning opportunity is not the same as an excuse for careless behavior!

Rather, admitting to your mistakes and showing that you have learned from them can help others to understand that making mistakes is OK. That is, as long as you act intelligently, in good faith, and keep your risk-taking within agreed boundaries.

Model this approach to encourage your people to take responsible risks, and to be more creative.

Analyze Your Mistake

Next, you need to analyze your mistake honestly and objectively. Ask yourself the following questions:

What was I trying to do?

What went wrong?

When did it go wrong?

Why did it go wrong?

Do you want to add a word or two?....

You need to identify the skills, knowledge, resources, or tools that will keep you from repeating the error.

Do so with care, though, because "quick fixes" will likely lead to further mistakes. Any actions that you take to implement your learning need to be enduring, and something that you can commit to.

If your mistake was a minor or a personal one, personal goals and action plans will lay the groundwork for implementing the lessons you've learned. They can give you a timescale to work to, and a list of the tasks that you'll need to complete.

The specific tools that you use from there on will depend on the particular lessons that you need to put into practice.

Learning from mistakes, and putting that learning into practice, involves change. If that change will impact other people, could help you to get them "on board" – and to keep them there.

Your comments........?

Don't be afraid to ask colleagues or your manager for help if you're unsure which tactic or tool will be the most effective in preventing further mistakes.

Involving other people is a great way to make them feel invested – and it can be particularly important when mistakes are made at a team or organizational level. So, foster an environment where people feel comfortable about expressing their ideas.

You may have to try out several ways to put your learning into practice before you find one that successfully prevents you from repeating past errors.

Monitor the efficacy of your chosen tactic by reviewing the number and nature of mistakes that do – or don't! – Still get made. Asking someone to help you to stay committed to your new course of action.

To err is human, and we don't have to punish ourselves for the mistakes that we make. They can be great opportunities to learn, and to develop on a personal, as well as an organizational, level. We just need to learn from them, and to put that learning into practice.

When you, or one of your team members, make a mistake:

Own up to it. Don't play the "blame game." This is detrimental in the long run, and you'll lose the potential for learning.

Reframe your mistake as an opportunity to learn and develop.

Review what went wrong, to understand and learn from your mistake.

Identify the skills, knowledge, resources, or tools that will keep you from repeating the error.

Review your progress.

When you take notes at a meeting, conference or training session, are you confident that you'll actually be able to use them?

Perhaps your notes are clear and concise, and you can rely on them to help you to recall key points. Or maybe they're a nonsensical jumble of sentences. If so, it might be time to change your note-taking approach.

Mistakes are vital and an INTEGRAL PART of the creative process.

He felt YOU MUST MAKE Mistakes — hey maybe the more the merrier!

Mistakes might even be the key to creativity.

Mistakes are scary. Mistakes are BAD…”

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing the world.

You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself.

Make new mistakes.

Make glorious, amazing mistakes.

Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before.

Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect.

Whatever it is: art, or love, or work, or family, or life. Whatever it is you’re of doing….. mistakes will happen executives I’ve talked to believe that failure is bad (of course!).

They also believe that learning from it is pretty straightforward:

Ask people to reflect on what they did wrong and exhort them to avoid similar mistakes in the future—or, better yet, assign a team to review and write a report on what happened and then distribute it throughout the organization.