The Power of Admitting a Mistake
"The most successful people are not the ones who never fail, but the ones who learn from their failures."
~ Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
It’s part of being human. We see a problem that needs fixing, or something important that needs to be done, and with the best of intentions, we do something that just turns out all wrong. We’ve made a mistake, and as I like to say, it’s all part of being a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress.
There are several responses we can have when we make a mistake. Of course, we should try to make it right in whatever way we can. We should also learn from our mistakes so we can grow as a person, gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t, and hopefully, not make the same mistake again.
But there are other ways we can respond to mistakes, and those have to do with how we and other people perceive us. We can respond negatively by either trying to deny our mistakes or letting our mistakes define us and keep us from making progress. Or we can take a more positive approach by normalizing, which is one of three amazing tools I’ve learned in the six years since we launched Courage to Caregivers (noticing and reframing are the other two). Normalizing is essentially acknowledging your emotions and feelings as “normal” or “commonplace” and allowing yourself to interpret them in an “ordinary way”.
When we make a mistake, we can normalize it by admitting and owning our error. It is very powerful to tell your child, loved one, or co-worker that you have made a mistake. It proves that you are human and prone to flaws. It sets a good example and helps others feel that it’s okay to admit their mistakes, too. And it opens the door to new opportunities for everyone, making it safe to try new things, explore new solutions, and continue along that sometimes unpredictable path to growth.
It’s all about being human, embracing our messiness, and recognizing that if we weren’t making mistakes, we wouldn’t be trying new things or taking chances.
Here are three tools, inspired by this MindTools article, that can help us learn from our mistakes:
OWN IT. Admitting you made a mistake helps normalize it and takes a lot of courage. And if you need to make amends, apologize for your mistake.
REFRAME IT: There are lessons in every mistake. Consider it as a learning opportunity and not just a mistake.
ADOPT A GROWTH MINDSET. Recognize that you’re a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress. One way that we all grow is by making mistakes … and learning from them.
When you normalize your mistakes, you are not diminished in the eyes of others. Instead, you are seen as more honest and open … and human. It sets a good example for those around you. And it EMPOWERS YOU to continue on YOUR path to growth.