Everybody makes mistakes. In our mind, some mistakes are bigger than others, but nonetheless, a mistake. How do you handle making a mistake? Do you move on or do you cringe about it for days?
On your journey to achieving your goals and doing your work, you will make plenty of mistakes. Some will be small and some will be big (at least, to you). Here’s the thing about mistakes: you can move past them if you let it go. As simple as that sounds, it’s even harder for some of us to do.
I’ll be the first to tell you that I used to beat myself up over mistakes. I’m a perfectionist, so I’m critical about everything I do. My friends would tell me that it wasn’t a big deal, but it was a big deal to me. Everyone has their ‘thing’ and different things sets each of us off. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and move on. There is no need to think about it for days on end – you need to move on. Don’t waste time being hard on yourself because that’s exactly what you’ll be doing – wasting time. That’s time you could have been productive. That’s time you could have figured out a problem. That’s time you could have been nice to someone.
I’ve seen people who make mistakes and they move on like the mistake never even happened in the first place. That’s a good trait to have. When I was in college, I came up with a saying: “If you’re not sick or dead, then keep going.” This may sound harsh at first, but when you think about it, we make the simplest things seem so huge. The teacher corrected your paper and gave you a B+ instead of an A? It’s not over – just think if you would have received an F instead of a D. There’s no need to hyperventilate or go into ‘fight or flight’ mode. You bought coconut milk at the store instead of almond milk? Don’t go crazy – try it, you might like it. If you don’t like it, at least you definitely know that you don’t like it. That’s all. Dropped your last contact in the toilet? OK, that sounds like an issue, but don’t go off the deep end yet. You still have your glasses as an option, or you could just have a very experimental day. Your eyes will have a chance to relax. Order more. What’s next? If it’s not making things any harder, then you’re fine. Even if it does make some things harder, you still have to eventually get over it. Everyday can’t be perfect (although I try to make it that way).
It is great that we have standards for ourselves, but let’s not get into the habit of beating ourselves up over minor stuff. What’s minor to others may be major to some (and vice versa), but life goes on. Don’t make the mistake again and let it go. Drink some water and move on.