One of the greatest qualities one can possess is the ability to take a mistake and use it as a tool to work in their favor moving forward. There will be few, if any, days that go by in your life that you will navigate mistake free. With this in mind, being able to evaluate what you did wrong and self-correct in future situations is an absolute must.
We are all familiar with the term, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”. While Webster’s term for the word insanity does not actually match this phrase, it can still serve as a valuable point of reference after committing an error.
In this article, we will take some time to briefly discuss ways in which you can look at your mistakes from an unbiased point of view in order to ensure you are not making the same ones on a routine basis.
How Are Others Responding To Your Mistake?
Using people around you, specifically how the respond to a mistake you have made, can serve as an excellent gauge of how well you are learning from your mistakes. Unfortunately, not all people do a very good job of forgiving others when they have messed up. However, the majority of individuals have the capacity to forgive someone for the occasional mistake, especially if they are a first time offender. After you have made a mistake, be careful to monitor how those around you handle the situation. Are they quick to forgive and encourage you, or does it seem as if they are annoyed and tired of turning the other cheek. If you observe the latter, there is a good chance you are failing to acknowledge a mistake you are routinely making in your life. This method tends to provide excellent feedback to the question posed in the title of this article.
Do You Find Yourself In Similar Predicaments On The Regular?
Oftentimes in the hectic schedules we are expected to manage, it can be hard to separate individual negative circumstances we find ourselves in. In the midst of these situations, most of us rarely take the time to analyze the exact cause and path that led to the situation. Moving forward, really try to evaluate the next predicament you find yourself in (at work, home, etc.) and ask yourself if this seems to be a recurring theme. If you can do this, there is a good chance you will start to connect similar occurrences of this nature, and hopefully be able to pinpoint exactly what you did to end up there.
Are You Stagnant In Certain Areas Of Your Life?
A telltale sign that you are not learning from your mistakes is a lack of progression, or even regression, in an area of your life. Make an effort to compartmentalize the various facets of who you are (at work, in your relationships, with your children). Ask yourself if these components in your life are progressing, growing and blossoming in an upward trend, or do they seem to be stuck in a cyclical routine of the same nature. It is especially important to notice is they are deteriorating, an even more damaging direction. With each of these facets listed, you are undoubtedly going to mess up and make mistakes from time to time. However, if you find these components to be chronically unchanging or regressing, there is a good chance you have failed to identify the error of your ways.
Always keep in mind that while it is completely acceptable to mess up and get off track from time to time, it is not okay to continuously do so in the same manner. Make sure to monitor individual events in your life in order to avoid falling into the habit of making the same mistakes repeatedly.