Reflecting on our mistakes and how we should view them

Image by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu

I have always been a very self-demanding person. Since I was a little girl, I always sought perfection in everything I did. I tried my best to get good grades in school, I always tried to be the best in my favorite sports, and I always strived to do my best at all times. But eventually I realized that perfection is an unattainable goal and that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. How do you think this ended?

Yes, a lot of frustration, sadness and even disappointment in myself, after more time than I would have liked, I finally learned that instead of worrying about perfection, it was much more important to develop a growth mindset and learn from my mistakes. Here's how I did it.

The first step in developing a growth mindset is to accept that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. There is no person who is perfect and does not make mistakes in their life. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve in the future. For example, when I first started working with a major company, I made a lot of mistakes. I would place orders incorrectly, sometimes forget the names of products I was supposed to know, and get very frustrated when I was given a suggestion. But instead of getting discouraged, I began to see mistakes as opportunities to learn. I started to analyze my moves, saw how others had done their jobs, improved and learned from my mistakes.

Image by Hannah Busing

The fixed mindset is one in which you believe that your skills and talents are innate and cannot be changed. On the other hand, the growth mindset is one in which you believe that your skills and talents can be developed through practice and effort. To change your fixed mindset to a growth mindset, it is important to start seeing mistakes as opportunities to grow. Instead of thinking "I'm not good at this," think "I'm not good at this yet, but I can get better through practice and effort."

For example, if you are learning a new language and you make mistakes when speaking, instead of thinking "I'm not good at this language," think "I'm not good at this language yet, but I can get better through practice and effort." Making mistakes can be frustrating, but you should not give up at the first failure. If you give up at the first hurdle, you will never have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes and improve in the future.

Another example might be when you are learning to play an instrument and you make mistakes on a song, don't give up. Keep practicing and learning from your mistakes. Eventually, you will get better and be able to play the song without mistakes. To learn from your mistakes, it is important to analyze them and look for solutions. Ask yourself what you did wrong and how you could do better in the future. Seek information and advice from experts in the field and work on improving in the area where you made the mistake.

Finally, to develop a growth mindset it is important to celebrate your successes and progress. While making mistakes can be frustrating, it is also important to recognize your accomplishments and the progress you have made over time. By accepting that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process, changing your fixed mindset to a growth mindset, not giving up at the first failure, analyzing your mistakes and looking for solutions, and celebrating your successes and progress, you can become more resilient, confident and capable of facing the challenges that lie ahead.

Remember that the road to success is not straight and smooth. Making mistakes and failing is part of the process, but the important thing is to learn from them and move forward. With a growth mindset and a positive attitude, you will be able to face life's challenges with confidence and optimism.