Not succumbing to an opportunity to address and improve
As humans, we often find ourselves overthinking and reliving certain situations. This could be a situation that transpired at work, or something that occurred several years ago that still may cross our minds. During this time of reflection and contemplation, emotions may resurface that cause a degree of anger, annoyance or resentment. For instance, we might disagree with constructive criticism that we received from a work colleague, manager, or even a close family member. It is important that, in the moment, we are consciously questioning the why of the situation. We need to ask ourselves questions such as why has this person pointed out this certain behaviour/interaction? If we do not question the why then we may be more inclined to succumb to our emotions and miss a key opportunity to better ourselves. Extending on this, there are several key ways that we can accept that we might be wrong and improve ourselves:
Own your mistake:
It is important to face your mistake head-on. Often at times it can be enticing to look for the easy way out when justifying a mistake. For example, attributing your failure on an exam to the temperature of the room will offer less room for improvement than realising that maybe you didn’t study enough! It is important to be honest and open when you may be wrong about some things and look for avenues to improve.
Gather others’ perspectives:
A mistake is often brought to our attention by a fellow colleague, family member or friend. Actively listening to their perspective of the situation and considering their advice is an essential part of the growth process. It is important to realise that these individuals are there to share the burden of the mistake and shed light on the situation.
Accepting mistakes is part of success:
Most successful individuals will often suggest that their biggest opportunities for growth and learning came from learning to accept their past failures. Richard Branson once famously said “do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again”. Considering this, it is important that we view mistakes as an integral stepping stone to success, as they free us from preconceived notions of a problem and open our minds to new ways of thinking.
