Mistake? 4 ways to move past it.

When we make what we see as a mistake at work, it can feel horrible. Not only do we feel bad because of the perceived error, we then ruminate on it and beat ourselves up some more.  

We’ve all been there. You can’t turn the clock back and erase the error, but you don’t have to keep reliving it. How you respond can make all the difference.  

Here are four steps I use to help me move past making a mistake. 

Step 1: Get some perspective. When you first realise something’s gone a bit awry your heart jumps to your mouth. It can really make you panic. The anxious feeling will be at its peak. Do something physical. Change your posture, notice your breathing and if necessary slow it down.  Get some space between your desk or workspace and you. Go for a walk around the block, grab a tea or coffee. Give yourself a bit of space. This helps you refocus and get some perspective.   

Step 2: What’s my learning? When something goes wrong, we can feel like we want to pretend it didn’t happen. Don’t try to avoid it, accept it. When you accept responsibility, you are more likely to be open to looking at what went wrong and learning from it. Think about what you would do differently. You can then start to see a mistake as a learning opportunity. 

Step 3: I am not alone; we all make mistakes, every day. It can feel a bit lonely when we make a faux pas. In this social media focused world, it can seem like everyone is so good at everything and effortlessly delivering brilliance every hour on the hour. They’re not. Everyone makes mistakes and suffers failure that’s how we learn.  Give yourself a break.  

Step 4: See the bigger picture. Will anyone remember this in a few weeks, a week or even a few days? Move on and remember what you’ve learned.