We all make mistakes, and we are all responsible for those that we make. At the same time, we can all learn from our mistakes and achieve success by doing things differently.
The best thing would be to use this as motivation in our lives and not let past mistakes drag us down. But alas, many of us tend to dwell on our mistakes.
This can demoralise us and send us on a roller coaster of negative emotions, such as regret, shame, and self-blame. We forget that we are only human and mistakes are inevitable.
Staring at the errors you’ve made in the past and dwelling on them will not help you achieve your aspirations. Instead of thinking about how wrong you can be, adopt an attitude of forgiveness.
So how can you avoid focusing on your mistakes? These tips can help:
1. Make a List
Write down a list of the lessons your mistakes taught you and read them when regrets pop up. Regret is an integral part of setting goals. It can help you set goals to improve yourself.
Regret presents you with an opportunity to think about how differently you could have acted, and it prompts you to make yet another effort to succeed.
But instead of drowning in thoughts about how things could’ve turned out better, write down the lessons you learned from your mistakes. Take note of how much you’ve changed since then.
2. Forgive Yourself
Feeling regret means you have standards you want to uphold. But the fact that you’re human also means you will fall short of your expectations from time to time. If you make mistakes, forgive yourself and move on with your life.
Accepting that you have the power to learn and grow from your mistakes will make you happier in the long run.
You won’t automatically feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders once you forgive yourself. But as time goes on, you’ll start feeling much better.
3. Distract Yourself
Distract yourself from thinking about your regrets. If you dwell on the things you’ve done wrong, you’re going to feel miserable. Instead, find ways to occupy your mind with things that make you happy.
You can be around your family and friends, listen to music, or watch a TV show to give yourself some downtime. Don’t let your regrets overwhelm you.
They won’t heal your wounds or make you feel better. You could also consider breaking up some routines to jolt you into feeling better.
For example, you could try something new each day, like going to a new restaurant or vegetable market to try fresh foods or travelling somewhere new.
4. Accept Yourself
Accept your mistakes and learn to accept yourself. No one is perfect, and you can’t change who you were or what you did in the past.
You could apologise to people who hurt your feelings or say you’re sorry if you accidentally said something hurtful. You might even try to forgive yourself. It’s not easy, but it’s healthy for your mind, heart, and soul.
But don’t worry. Accepting yourself doesn’t mean you let your mistakes get away from you. Instead, you can use them as motivation to do better in the future.
Not only will accepting yourself and your mistakes stop you from beating yourself over them, but it’ll also help you overcome your fear of making mistakes altogether, which could’ve prevented you from achieving your goals.
5. Keep a Journal
Sharing your thoughts on difficult or painful subjects and expressing your emotions can help you work through your pain. You can put pen to paper and write down your thoughts and feelings.
You don’t have to keep your journal forever but ensure that you are honest about what you’re writing. It can be hard to think about anything positive when you’re upset. Writing about your problems may help you get some of your energy back.
Journaling can also make you feel more positive about yourself and your situation.
Mistakes and regrets happen to everyone, but dwelling on them doesn’t help. When you dwell on your mistakes, you can become overwhelmed by the negative emotions of regret.
Whether you realise it or not, dwelling on your mistakes makes you believe that you’re a failure. It can make you feel disappointed, ashamed of yourself, and even guilty. These are negative emotions no one should have to experience for any reason.
Forgive yourself and focus on the good things in your life. Keep in mind that you’ve grown as a person and changed for the better. You are only human, and humans make mistakes.
Be optimistic about your mistakes! After all, they have made you the excellent person you are today!
