Embracing our imperfection puts the emphasis back where it should be: continual improvement. This mindset turns mistakes from land mines into street signs, pointing us toward where we need to go.
— Ryder Carroll
Most of us have really high expectations for ourselves. We know what we should do. We know what we want to do. We set New Year’s resolutions, make goals, turn over a new leaf, and start that diet or exercise program.
Then life gets in the way. Or our habits and addictions get in the way. Or we just trip up. And all our best intentions fall to the ground.
Have you experienced this cycle before? The truth is, we all have. It is part of being human. We are not perfect and we will make mistakes as we try to improve and be better.
It is not important that we never make mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable. The important thing is what we do with the mistakes when they happen.
For many people, mistakes are disasters. We make a mistake and throw our hands in the air. We blame and berate ourselves. We wonder what is wrong with us. And far too often we give up, viewing our mistake as evidence that we can’t or are unworthy to succeed.
Alternately, if we accept that we will make mistakes, we can let them inform us as we grow. Mistakes do not show us our limitations, they show us the edge or our current skills. We can use this information to know where we need to focus our efforts. Using our mistakes to guide or efforts allows us to grow and improve much more quickly than random effort does.
So next time you make a mistake, take notice. What is it telling you?
What mistakes have you made recently? What weaknesses do indicate? How can you focus your efforts on improving in those areas of your life?