How To Fix Your Mistakes In Life

We all make mistakes from time to time... Though many mistakes are trivial and have little impact on the world, other blunders inflict harm to others and must be addressed swiftly and properly. Here's a seven-step procedure for coping with any mistake, whether it's a professional or personal one.

1. Acknowledge the Mistake Directly

Don't compound your error by ignoring it in the hopes that it will go away. Ignoring a failure, whether it's a client order gone wrong or your spouse's birthday forgotten, won't make it appear less important; it'll only make you look like a jerk. Tell it like it is. Acknowledge that you made a mistake directly and briefly, but honestly. Describe what you did and how much you regret it.

2. Take Responsibility

Human nature's initial response is to go into self-defense mode, and no time is this response more powerful than when we are forced to own our own flaws. Even if it's justified, resist the desire to assign blame to somewhere (or someone). Extenuating circumstances constantly exist, and most of us do not intend to make a mistake. But, no matter how excellent your intentions are, you've made a mistake. Don't point fingers or make excuses; doing so just gives the impression that you're more concerned with getting out of trouble than with dealing with the problem you've made, however unintentionally.

3. Apologize

Those two words, "I'm sorry," must be heard by the individual who is enduring the weight of your error. "Please forgive me" is also a beautiful phrase. It demonstrates that you recognise that this individual has the option of forgiving or not forgiving the mistake. It admits that you require forgiveness. It also places the burden of proof on the aggrieved party, requiring them to either accept the apology and move on with their lives, or choose to reject or refuse your apology, leaving you with nothing to do. Nobody wants to be the bad guy who refuses to take responsibility and accept an apology. However, if you do not apologise verbally and directly, the person who has been harmed will not be forced to forgive and go on.

4. Offer a Practical Way to Make Up for the Mistake

There are a few, very rare circumstances where there is nothing you can do to make up for what has been done. If you accidently killed a neighbor's beloved family dog with your automobile, offering to go out and get a new puppy isn't going to help, so don't offer. In most circumstances, though, you can come up with a strategy to make amends. You should offer to pay for any property that you've broken, lost, or otherwise destroyed. If you've deeply injured someone you care about, you can offer to go to counselling with them. If you're stumped with ideas, ask, "What can I do to make it up to you?"

5. Give the Other Person Time to Think and Respond

The more severe the pain, the more difficult it is to let go of it. Don't feel compelled to respond right away. People require time to reflect, absorb, and release hurt feelings and offences. Take clear responsibility, apologise, and provide a method to make apologies; then take a step back and say something like, "I'll give you some time to think about it." Offer a different, more precise time to discuss so you don't forget what you've said.

6. Listen and Respond

Allow time for the other person to speak during both the initial chat and the follow-up. Sometimes all people need is to express how much they've been wounded or the consequences of a mistake they've committed. Listening to people vent isn't fun, but it does help them sift through their emotions and get to the bottom line, which is where you need to be in order to rectify the error and move on.

7. Do What You've Said You Will Do

The last step is crucial: if you've offered a chance to make amends and it's been accepted, make good on your promise. Failure to follow through on your promises will only make the error worse and make it nearly impossible for you to be taken seriously when you try to apologise again.