Turning Mistakes into Lessons
The mistakes a person makes are often the foundation of a successful career. Allowing yourself the room to grow from errors will help you build a strong and sturdy base for the future.
During the course of your working life you're going to make mistakes. Some of them will be large. It can be unnerving and even frightening when you realize you're the cause of a major mess up. Take a deep breath and calm yourself down. You are human and humans make errors.
Admit that you've made a mistake to your superior. Keep your emotions under control and don't waste timejustifyingthe error. There may be contributing factors beyond your control which contributed to your actions but don't dwell on them. What's important to the organization is fixing the problem and moving forward. Let that be the case for you as well. Avoid fixating on the incident. Go back to work.
It's not uncommon for superiors and co-workers to forgive you for a mistake faster than you forgive yourself. There's nothing to be gained by holding unto negative emotions. This can be harder for some people than others. Having a perfectionist personality can be a positive thing but it's important to allow yourself to be human.
Avoid posting the incident on social network sites or otherwise advertising it for others to see. Remember it may be viewed at a later date by those you wish to impress. Talk to trusted friends and family. Vent outside of work but keep it in your private circle
When you're ready take a step back and view the incident in a different light. Look at it as anopportunity to learn. Creating a positive from a negative will help you get your confidence back.
When you get off work engage in some sort of physical activity. It will help you release tension and make you feel better. It will be easier to go back and look at the situation. What happened? Were there warning signs? What was under your control? How could you have handled things differently? Look at things from several different angles. When you recognize steps you should have taken to prevent the error put them in your work arsenal. Now that they're at your disposal you won't make the same error again. There are always new mistakes to make.
Sometimes a mistake is larger than an error on the job. If you feel you've made a misstep in your selection of a career path don't be afraid to admit your dissatisfaction.`How difficult it will be to change directions will depend on your situation but in most cases something can be done. Remember that admitting your problem allowsnew doorsto open.
Don't allow your error make you afraid of committing another mistake. As you grow in your profession (or are searching for a career path) you'll grow your abilities and knowledge. Your strengths will lead you into new positions with more responsibility and concerns. Along with that possible corner office will come the possibility of making new mistakes. Every time you test new ground you'll face the hazard of stepping into quick sand. Remember to learn from being bogged down so you take a different path next time around.
Learning is something that continues throughout one's lifetime. Turn your mistakes in lessons and hike up the career hill to reach new peaks.
