Mistakes - Why do we make them? What can we do about them?

Everyone makes mistakes and often there’s no way to stop them. But understanding why you made them in the first place and what you can do to reduce them in your workplace can result in a greater career satisfaction and productivity.

Psychologist Gavin Freeman says that even athletes have strategies for dealing with their mistakes. Recognising your own weaknesses is the first step to dealing with them!

Freeman identifies common mistakes in business as often being associated with pressure and stress. He says that the best way of dealing with stress is using relaxation techniques. However, mistakes can also be made following “successful performance” where adrenalin is pumping through the body, making it difficult to focus on daily tasks. Staying focused and not getting too caught up in your own success is important to avoid these mistakes.

Ever had one of those days where it seems that nothing is going right? One mistake early in the day can have that domino effect, where you seem to keep making mistakes all throughout your workday. Or where you’re pushed to succeed by a desire to impress your superior?

According to Freeman, a key way of dealing with any mistake is based around the idea of trust. You need to trust in your ability to deal with the mistakes that come your way. Most importantly, never think that the solution is impossible! Remembering that your own mindset can often be the cause and the solution of your mistakes, anything is possible!

See our article ‘Staying Focused!’ in this month’s newsletter for tips on how to avoid those adrenalin-induced mistakes!