LEARNING FROM YOUR MISTAKES

Mistakes.  They are a part of life. 

A Hall of Fame basketball coach had this to say about mistakes: “What to do with a mistake:  recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” 

Recognition.  It takes a certain humility to recognize a mistake.  We all know people who are “never wrong.”  We also know people who stubbornly repeat mistakes.  The wise person knows that if you are trying to “happen” to the world, mistakes are going to happen.  Progress won’t occur until you recognize it. 

Admission.  Full humility is admission after recognition.  But admission helps a great deal.  It lets your teammates know you see.  It creates opportunities for discussion.  It commences the process for improvement. 

Learning.  If you have a history of learning from your mistakes, you are performing at a higher level.  Repeating mistakes is madness. Correcting mistakes expands knowledge, increases competency, and enhances teamwork. 

Forget it.  Remaining burdened by previous mistakes impedes progress.  There is always another day.  Always another play.  Performers with “short memories” execute without carrying psychological baggage of regret and shame. 

Mistakes are only fatal if we allow them to be.