Making Mistakes: Learning the Hard Way
A quote from Henry Ford explains how we must learn from our mistakes to succeed
Today I will be discussing how learning from mistakes is essential for success. This topic is important to me because it has been a lifelong struggle for me to accept my mistakes, and how to move on from them. I will also be providing some tips that I have learned in my experience of how to use these failures as a tool to success. This topic is relevant to any field and job that we can think of. We are human, which means we will make mistakes. I will be discussing my experience with making mistakes, and how I have learned from them to improve in my work experience. I will then be providing some advice on how to use mistakes as a way to improve in the workplace.
Every person who is successful has had encounters with failure. Various athletes, singers, and actors have had stories where mistakes or failures light a fire under them. I recently had the privilege of Tyrese Gibson coming to speak to my class about how hearing no, lights a fire under you to “turn that no into an on”. One athlete who discusses this concept as well is Kobe Bryant. He mentions that “failure doesn’t exist” if we just keep trying.
Making mistakes is the best way to learn lessons in life. Although I have always been a perfectionist, I have come to accept that in order to learn lessons and improve in my work that mistakes are bound to happen. We may not like to hear it, but we cannot do everything flawlessly every time we set ourselves to a task or project. We are human, which means that we make mistakes. When I got my first job, I struggled as a new employee to get my footing into the job. I made various mistakes. I am two and a half years into the job and I still make errors to this day. However, I have learned how to take the advice, and use these mistakes as a stepping stool to success. I used to be in self-doubt, and become emotional when I would make a mistake in front of my managers. The thoughts of “I’m going to get fired”, or “they don’t believe in me anymore” would always cross my head. As I have grown in my job, I have come to learn that this is just a part of being human.
Accepting mistakes will always be a challenge to people. I will provide some tips that helped me to move on from my self-doubt when I would make mistakes in the workplace.
Take constructive criticism professionally.
When a boss critiques you after your mistake, they may come across as firm or intimidating depending on the severity of the error. However, I have learned that they may simply be concerned about the quality of service, or recognizing the mistake made and how to fix it. I currently work in a family owned business, and at first I would think that my boss saw me as immature when I would make a mistake. However, as I have matured in my job, I have come to realize that he is just focused on how to make his business the best it can possibly be. When realizing this, I learned to take constructive criticism professionally instead of in a personal way. When realizing this, the feeling of self doubt decreases, and you learn how to improve in a job setting.
Mistakes help us learn
Mistakes may be hard to accept in any setting. However, the truth is that mistakes are the best way to learn. When you make a mistake at work, you then realize what to do so this error is never made again. Without making mistakes, we may never learn that some things we do in a work setting are incorrect. Therefore, by making a mistake, we know what not to do, and what we can do better to help us be successful in the workplace.
Remember that you got this job for a reason
Job recruiters look through many resumés and applications during the hiring process. There is a reason why a company decided to hire you and keep you for this job. When you make a mistake, remember that this job could have chosen to fire you but they did not. There is a reason why after making errors, this company still chooses to believe in you. Remember why you were hired, and what traits you have that bring benefit to your company. Focus on your strengths and don’t be afraid to ask for help on things that you struggle with. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Think about your strengths and how they benefit your company.
Focus on everything good you’ve done in your job
When I made errors in my work, I would let that overshadow everything else I had done for that company. One time, after coming back from a vacation, I had realized how much the company I work for needed me. Products were disorganized, and the state of the store needed to be improved quickly. That was when I realized that everything I had done while working there greatly benefited the store. After that moment, I chose to remember that everything good I did for the store showed my strong work ethic. The mistakes still happen nowadays, but remembering all the beneficial things I did for the job made me realize that my drive to succeed, is bigger than my doubt when I make a mistake
These are a few tips that will be helpful to overcome self doubt when making a mistake in the workplace. When remembering to take things professionally, and that we all make mistakes, we can learn to overcome self doubt. We are all here to learn in life, and by learning to overcome mistakes, we can use them as stepping stones to success.
I hope that you can use these tips as a way of overcoming your self-doubt in the workplace. Stay tuned for more blog posts coming soon!
