You must learn from your mistakes

Carrie Classon The Postscript

'He who never made a mistake never made a discovery.' – Samuel Smiles Although no one wants to, we all make mistakes. It's virtually unavoidable. Mistakes have a stigma associated with them. To many people, mistakes are synonymous with failure, and no one wants to be labeled a failure.

When faced with two or more options, mistake avoidance plays a significant role in the decision making process. So rather than analyzing which choice offers the greatest rewards, you limit yourself by gravitating towards the alternative with the least risk. Then, when you make a mistake, which is inevitable, you become filled with regret. Mistakes are typically followed by spending too much time lamenting what you would do differently if you could only do things over.

The only way to avoid making mistakes is to attempt nothing. But that is in itself a mistake. Therefore, mistakes are an inevitable part of life. This is an important fact to accept since wisdom is attained only through mistakes.

Yet, you don't have to repeat the same mistakes others have already been through. True progress is made, and knowledge is advanced, when the experiences of others are used as a foundation for further discoveries.

So here are your objectives. Don't take reckless chances. Learn from the mistakes of others. Armed with knowledge, move forward with the goal of success. Don't be afraid of mistakes. Instead, accept them as part of the learning process. When you do make a mis-

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take, you will gain wisdom. Surprisingly, there are those who don't learn from their mistakes. They keep repeating the same actions that produced the undesirable results the first time. Making the same mistake over and over is a sign you are not paying attention to cause and effect.

The concept is really simple. If you want different results you must change your behavior. When you make a mistake, you need to take responsibility for your actions. You can't blame someone or something else. If you refuse to take responsibility for your behavior, there is virtually no chance of obtaining different results. You are the only one in charge of the direction your life takes.

Is it possible to correct a mistake? Yes and no. No, you can't change the past.

There are no do overs. Yes, you can make changes that prevent you from repeating the past. Suppose someone gets fired because they were constantly late. They can make sure they are always early or on time at their next job.

Perhaps a person has bad credit because their payments are often late. They can improve their financial situation by starting to make their payments on time. An individual who is gaining weight because of his eating habits and lifestyle isn't relegated to being overweight and out of shape. All it takes is a change in diet and exercise.

Everyone who achieves success has made many mistakes. After each mistake, they assess what went wrong and why. Then they pick themselves up, make the necessary adjustments, and keep going. They repeat this process as often as necessary until their goals are reached. With each cycle, their knowledge grows.

The journey to success is filled with falls, bumps, and bruises. Perfection, if it exists, is only achieved as a result of numerous mistakes. Anyone who claims never to have made a mistake has not realized any meaningful accomplishments.

Welcome mistakes as the opportunity for growth they are. Learn from each one. Don't become discouraged. Ignore any criticisms others may offer. Never, ever give up because something you attempted didn't have the desired results. A mistake is an opportunity to try again with more knowledge.

Now available: “ Dare to Live Without Limits,” the book. Visit www. Bryan-Golden. com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor.

E- mail Bryan at bryan@ columnist. com or write him c/ o this paper.