Learning From Mistakes
How Mistakes Can Catapult You to Success
It is not our mistakes that define who we are; it is how we recover from those mistakes. – Bo Bennett
I have learned more from my mistakes than from my successes. – Humphrey Davy
The idea that you can learn from your mistakes is not a new one. However, when you’re in the middle of a business venture and are experiencing the painful consequences of your mistakes, the value of that idea can be more difficult to appreciate. But you need to recognize that mistakes can be a powerful motivator to success. Here are five things to help you appreciate the error of your ways:
1. Acknowledge your mistakes.
Some people are afraid of acknowledging their mistakes because they believe it means they’re admitting failure. If you want to enjoy tremendous success, the first thing you must do is change your perception of mistakes. They are a means to an end, not the end itself. If you were to ask successful entrepreneurs about mistakes they’ve made, you’d probably get an earful. Most entrepreneurs are risk-takers, and the nature of taking risks implies a margin of error or mistake-making. The important thing is that you acknowledge your mistakes quickly and with grace. Not only will it help you move forward more quickly, it will also act as a good lesson to those around you, especially your employees.2. Learn your lessons.
It’s important that you quickly acknowledge your mistakes so you can quickly learn from them. Countless entrepreneurs view their mistakes as a school-ground, enabling them to test and try their ideas until they achieve success. Consider the Wright Brothers. Had they given up after their first attempt to control their hand-crafted biplane on the shores of the Atlantic, they never would have achieved what has since come to dominate modern aviation: controlled, powered aircraft. So don’t beat yourself up over your mistakes; take the time to step back and see what they’re trying to teach you.3. Appreciate feelings of discomfort.
When you make mistakes they can cost you time and money. They can also cause stress and frustration. These feelings, however, aren’t bad; they can motivate you to change the situation to something more desirable. Allow yourself to feel the discomfort and then decide to make the necessary changes that will eliminate them.4. Take action.
It’s important that you keep moving forward, regardless of your mistakes. Some become so paralyzed by their fear of making mistakes that they don’t do anything, which eventually results in failure. While it’s important to contemplate a plan of action and ensure good timing, it’s not good to let fear motivate you to do either. Consider this Conrad Hilton quote: “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”5. Don’t give up.
Unfortunately some let a few mistakes discourage them to the point where they give up and surrender their dreams. Professor Randy Pausch with Carnegie Mellon said, “Brick walls are there for a reason; they let us prove how badly we want things.” So before you throw up your hands in defeat ask yourself how badly you want your business to succeed.
No one said that running your own business would be trouble-free. Everyone is bound to make his/her fair share of mistakes. What it really boils down to is how you view them. Are they burdensome obstacles or powerful learning experiences? As James Joyce once said, “A man’s errors are his portals to discovery.”
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