Someone once said, “People will appreciate your great deeds, but it is your mistakes they will remember.” This seems very unfair and it makes life even tougher than it already is, doesn’t it?
What makes it worse is that you will not be able to stop this from happening. But, and here comes the shocker, how you choose to deal with mistakes will influence how people remember you and your mistakes. It is your attitude when dealing with mess-ups that will let them talk about you as “that great guy / girl” or “that loser.”
So, how do you change disasters into victories? Here is how.
HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE. When people don’t think of you as a trouble maker or someone who is reckless they will be more forgiving the day you do make a mistake.
TRY YOUR BEST. Many people make mistakes simply because they tried to not make mistakes. For example, if you think before you speak you will never accidentally say something bad.
APOLOGISE. Heck, this will never be a nice thing to do (which is why you should try doubly hard not to make mistakes), but it is the one thing that puts mistakes behind you pretty quickly. Write the person a note or send an sms if you find it difficult to face him / her, but apologise and get it over with.
FORGIVE. So you feel bad when you mess up! That is good because it shows you are human. You should get worried when you no longer feel bad when you make a mistake. However, work through your emotions and then put them behind you by forgiving yourself. One way to turn your bad feelings into positive feelings is to decide how you will handle the same situation better and / or differently next time.
GOOD HABITS. Why do you think your parents always nag about being polite, having good manners and thinking before you act? The reason! Adults have learned that there is no eraser or delete key with which to fix mistakes. The best way therefore to avoid messing up is to have habits that keep you from messing up. How many times have you made mistakes just because you were not thinking? Would you still have made these mistakes if you were in the habit of thinking before you speak or act? In the same way being polite will keep you from saying the wrong things, being truthful will keep you from lying and being honorable will steer you away from doing anything bad.
BE GRACEFUL. Have you ever seen a stage actor stumble, get up and go on as if nothing has happened? That is the way to do it. Yes you will apologise and fix your mistake, but do this as if it all comes naturally to you. After all, you do not want to make things worse by getting upset, becoming panicky and ending up being all emotional. Keep your pose and stay in control.
LAUGH. Yes it will not be funny when you make a mistake, but once you have fixed your boo-boo, laugh about it a bit or find something else to laugh about. It does wonders for the heart and spirit when you laugh. So, go easy on yourself and begin to enjoy life again.
