The Process of Learning from Mistakes

Most of us know that there are gems to our mistakes.  All of us want to benefit from these gems, but unfortunately only a handful of us know how to learn from mistakes.  We know that an unwise decision doesn’t mean that life is over and that we can learn from the mistake and grow through the experience.  To get the most from our mistakes, I would like to suggest the following process of learning from mistakes.

 

The first and foremost step to take is to examine the situation. In this step, you need to be open minded, unbiased and prepared to accept the reason for the mistake.  Evaluate why you went for that bad decision.  This involves a deep personal examination of yourself to find the soft spot that needs maturing. You may have an emotional attitude that you need to deal with. Don’t try to overlook this because you don’t want to face it. Overlooking your problem will cause you to make another mistake, the consequence of which may be dreadful than the present one.

 

Ask for help. Sometimes the situation you are in would require more than a personal solution. When there is a need for help from other people, do not hesitate to let them know. Actually, even before you come into a situation that you feel that help is needed you must already know who to turn to. Now for the people in your life that will not add value to you, be prepared to loosen the ties you have with them.  Sometimes, it is because of these people that you will commit the same mistake again. This is something we call as “bad influence”. Never be afraid to cut off ties with people who will make a negative impact in your life.

Say “No” to procrastination.  As soon as you’ve chosen a better path than the one you were in before, don’t delay. Grab the opportunity to start anew. Procrastination only drags out the emotional process and postpones the healing time. Procrastination will keep you from new opportunities brought about by your new decision. Don’t let procrastination bring you to another mistake.

 

It really pays to say “No”. A lot of mistakes and poor decisions can be avoided if we exercise our right to say “no.” Pressure from people around us, trying to please people or not wanting to hurt other people cause us to say “Yes” which we will regret.  Be firm with your decision.  Say “No” if that is what you think is the best answer.

Be at peace by calling on to God for guidance. Always settle for the best. We don’t know the future; we only know the past and the present. Pray for your decision and receive God’s best. Call to mind what happened when you did not seek God’s opinion.

 The process of learning from mistakes will turn our darkest hour into our finest moment if only we learn and change from our experience.