How to learn from mistakes instead of repeating them


Have you ever found yourself declaring that you will never do something again only to find yourself doing it time and time again? If that’s the case, then it could be time to learn from your mistakes instead of repeating them. We’re all human, and sometimes we need a moment to asses.

Acknowledge your errors

It can be easy to blame other people for your mistakes. Sadly, we sometimes need to hold our hands up and confess that something happened because of something we did, and no one else could have changed the outcome. It might be a little uncomfortable, but learning how to accept that you have made an error can be the first step to help learn from your mistakes – and hopefully stop repeating them again in the future.

How to learn from mistakes instead of repeating them

Analyze your mistake

Why did something go wrong? How could you have affected the outcome? What has making a mistake taught you? These are just some of the many questions that we can ask ourselves to help analyze mistakes. Sometimes, the best way to get to the root of the answers is to look at the error and then continually ask “Why?” until you are left with a solution. Some mistakes aren’t so simple to answer, but drawing out a flow chart or visualizing the event in your head could help to make things seem a little clearer.

Make mistakes harder

Although many of us rely on willpower to help make sure that we don’t make the same mistakes again, it might not be long before our minds convince ourselves that we need to do it over. That is until we realize that we’ve already made it harder for ourselves. If you have an issue with overspending, then handing your cards to a trusted friend or family member means you have to get the card through them first. If you always miss a step at work, then visual clues on your desk or next to your computer can help give us a little reminder.

Write a plan

Making a mistake can soon turn us into our own worst enemies. Rather than use your energy to belittle yourself, it could be time to transfer it to making a plan instead. Making a plan should help to stop us from running through the same motions until we are left with another mistake. It’s all about finding ourselves accountable for sticking to the plan. Calendars or a friend to check in with every now and then are usually great places to start.

How to learn from mistakes instead of repeating them

Put lessons into practice

Running through the same motions again can quickly see many of us fall back onto the path that led us to the mistake in the first place. However, using a combination of every skill should help us to achieve the desired effect. Sure, we might stumble a little along the way or make entirely new mistakes instead, but learning how to start from the beginning can show tremendous growth for many of us.

Making mistakes doesn’t mean that we’ve failed. In fact, it shows that we are human and know how to recognize where things might not have gone to plan before altering ourselves to learn from our mistakes instead of repeating them. The best bit? It might not be as tough as we once believed.

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