How to Leverage Your Worst Mistakes to Be Smarter
Damn!
Life is tough. Everyone — regardless of their social status, accolades, and gifts or talents is vulnerable to suffering.
You can’t take a break from life. Sure, you can rest, but you’ll still have to face your challenges and nip them in the bud.
But guess what? The good news is: even if you can’t evade the troubles of life, you can attack them. You can even foresee some forthcoming challenges and try overcoming them before they come to pass.
And if you’ve ever fallen prey to gruesome mistakes, and felt so ashamed about yourself, don’t falter hopelessly. Sometimes, the greatest breakthroughs are borne out of a crisis, including self-induced pain.
While mistakes are uncomfortable and can make things worse, there’s a way you can try to navigate your challenges to avoid terrible aftermaths.
Wondering how? Have a scoop at how to transmute your mistakes into smart lessons.
- Harness the Reflective Power of Pain
Consider this…
Try reflecting on your life. Is there something in the past that you’ve ever done that you’re not proud of? Did the experience make things better or worse? Did the happening improve your life or did it push you deep into the abyss of pain?
Every time you make a bad choice, you begin regretting, and replaying the experience over and over again, or even wish things would work out differently to prevent the catastrophic outcome. Mistakes can actually make you more reflective. The pain can act as fuel to help you analyze what went wrong.
For instance, after making a couple of mistakes and losing tons of money, an avid gambler may reconsider changing his or her ways. Such pain helps resolve issues by pausing and reflecting on the problems in a sober way.
However, it’s important to understand that regrets can make things worse. Living in the past offers very little in the way of solving problems.
For instance, imagine losing your job, then instead of looking for alternatives or talking to people about the issue, you whimper over the challenges and make things worse. And while that’s what we do, such unconscious responses to issues barely solve problems.
Although it’s totally normal to get stressed sometimes, it’s only fair that you learn to attack your problems
Jordan Peterson, a renowned psychology professor argues that we unnecessarily suffer when regretting after making a bad decision because of our memories. In his view, the point of remembering your mistakes isn’t to make you feel bad about yourself.
Jordan firmly believes that the memory is designed to remember such disturbing happenings in a bid to prevent you from making more mistakes in the near future.
“You never fail, and lose everything. There’s always a thing or two to learn from your worst pitfalls.”
I heard of a story that involved two sons who were both raised by an alcoholic and abusive father. Several years later, one of the sons became a diehard alcoholic while the other chose the path of responsibility and ended up doing well in life.
Upon questioning both sons, the alcoholic said he fell prey to the drinking habit because of his father’s influence while the other never drank because he didn’t want to end up miserable like his dad. Moral of the story: it’s better to solve problems than stick to bitterness and resentment.
2. Resolve to Seek Constructive Solutions
Right after identifying your problems and making the decision to make your life better, there’s still much more to do. The toughest bit is confronting your issues head-on and seeking out constructive solutions.
You need high-level mental strength to face your worst mistakes, forgive yourself, and seek viable ways to improve your life.
While it’s easy to complain and make excuses regarding the mistakes you made or why things aren’t working out for you, the best decision is facing your challenges.
Logically, the best revenge for your mistakes is a firm resolve to improve yourself and be way better. While it’s a tough process, it’s worth it in the long run.
On the flip side, if you focus on the losses, you’ll lose the chance to get better, and even risk plunging into depression.
Also, remember not to beat yourself too hard after doing something stupid. Being a human being isn’t that easy. You still have to figure things out as you go along.
So, the next challenge is resolving to be a better version of yourself at the slightest opportunity. Every second minute and hour offers a golden opportunity to be better. There are many chances in life if you choose to keep going.
True wisdom is doing what you know is right.
Use Your Mistakes To Get Smarter
Mistakes are deplorably painful. They suck. But since we can’t change the world as it is, maybe twisting your mentality and seeking solutions can help you exhaustively learn from your mistakes and make more intelligent decisions next time. Go ahead, confront your worst mistakes, one day at a time. I’m rooting for you!