Dealing with Mistakes and Failure – the OMG Approach

Dealing with Mistakes and Failure – the OMG Approach

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Own it, Move on from it, Grow from it 

We all make mistakes, it is part of being human and essential to our growth. Whether at work/school or within our personal lives we sometimes stumble and get things wrong. And that is fine. So why whenever we fail at something do we feel disappointment or even shame? Why do we react defensively, desperate to deny any responsibility? We need to change our mindset if we want healthy, positive relationships with ourselves and those around us – we need the OMG approach.

Own it

When we make a mistake, often the first reaction is to cover it up or blame someone else. From children we constantly hear things like ‘it wasn’t my fault’ or ‘he started it’. These attitudes often follow us into adulthood. A relationship starts to fail – we pick the other person apart, we don’t get the job or the promotion we wanted – we look for outside factors to blame. How about we just own it and admit our mistake?

Move on from it

How often does a mistake or a failure continue to plague our thoughts? For some, it can be an incredibly unhealthy amount of time. “What will they think of me? I feel so ashamed.” Our mistakes do not define who we are, rather they are just moments in time. Don’t let them ruin your day, your week, your life – draw a line under it and move on. 

Grow from it

Ask yourself, ‘what has this experience taught you?’ How has it helped you on your journey to becoming the best version of yourself? Appreciate this opportunity to grow instead of allowing it to knock your self-esteem. You will respect yourself a lot more for it, so will those around you.

‘Failure is success in progress.’

Albert Einstien

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