4 Steps to Learning From Your Mistakes

How exactly do you go about learning from your mistakes? Here are 4 killer steps that really make a difference.

We all dread mistakes. They happen and we wish we could take them back. But, what is more important is learning from our mistakes and moving on. Today, let's talk about four practical ways we can learn from our mistakes and ensure that we cure the problem at its root.

1. Identify the Error

The first and most important step to learning from our mistakes is to know exactly what needs changing. In order words, you've got to identify the mistake.

Fully understand where you've gone wrong in order to be able to make things right again. This is not always easy, as we often feel uncomfortable when faced with our flaws. Yet it is a crucial step that's involved in being able to learn from our mistakes.

This will likely call for some quiet thinking and deep analysis. Ponder questions such as: what factors lead to me making this mistake? You could also try to dig deeper by asking questions like, when did things first start going wrong?

Like I said, this is often a hard task to do but ever so important if you want to work towards changes.

2. Move past embarrassment

The next important thing to do when trying to learn from your mistakes is to move past embarrassment. Embarrassment often follows our mistakes. We feel so awkward about our errors.

Embarrassment can overwhelm you, and you could start thinking more about how others are perceiving you rather than the mistake itself and how to move ahead.

If you want to get serious about making positive changes, you've got to realise that you are not the first person to make 'your' mistake and that getting overly embarrassed can be a huge distraction and waste of time.

Once you can learn to put the hot emotions and embarrassment of the situation away, you are more empowered to start acting decisively and make choices that will turn out well.

3. Visualise the difference.

Another great way to learn from your mistakes is to picture the outcome you want versus the outcome you are currently getting.

Yes, visualise the difference. This is a powerful technique because it literally means that you are analysing the consequences of your actions, seeing that they are in fact negative, and motivating yourself to do better next time.

This applies to big mistakes as well as little everyday ones. Maybe you're learning to ice skate and you keep making mistakes and nearly fall over. So what do you do? Visualise yourself gliding on the ice in perfect motion and contrast it with what you are doing now. Think carefully about the steps that are between your current reality and what you want.

You've really just got to prove to yourself why you want to make changes and dwell on the marvellous possibilities that can occur when you do learn from your mistakes.

4. Use Role Modelling to Hasten Progress

Last but not least, the fourth step to learning from your mistakes is to follow the example of those who are the way you want to be.

Positive role models can have such a positive impact on us and our lifestyle. The quickest way to learn from your mistakes is by studying the lives of those who have encountered similar problems as you, and discovering what they have done to overcome their struggles.

It can be so encouraging to know that someone like you once struggled with the same mistake that you are struggling with - and that they came through the other end victorious. It can definitely be hard to stay inspired to make changes if you feel like such a hopeless failure. Don't try to go it alone. Use the examples of others to make your journey different.

Whenever you find an example of someone who is a good role model in your situation, ask yourself questions like: what was the turning point for them that really empowered them to make a change? What is the one key piece of advice that this person would give regarding the issue I am facing?

Modelling those who have successfully learnt from their mistakes can be invaluable.

So, these were some methods of learning from your mistakes that are slightly different to what you may have previously heard of/thought of.

Reaching that point where you can really say that you've learnt from your mistake is so rewarding. The hard work we put in to make changes does pay off!