For most of us, success is the ultimate goal. It’s something we all desire and when someone asks us about it, we immediately zero in on the image of what we think it means to us. That being said, we don’t often sit to consider everything we are going to face on the path to success. We don’t calculate and take into account that we might make mistakes or we might falter at some point. So, when we do stray off the path, we tend to become our own worst enemy and tend to lose faith in ourselves. However, if you ask any successful person what was the one moment in their life that taught them the most, they will all most likely give you an example of when they made a mistake. No one is perfect and we need to realise that making mistakes is a part of the journey to success. It is just as valuable as anything else and here are 5 reasons to prove that.
1. It Gives Us An Opportunity To Learn
Failure and making mistakes is never an easy thing to deal with. But eventually, when the sting wears off, you will find yourself in a place that is more open to feedback and growth. When you falter, it’s like an awakening that shakes you up and knocks you off the rigid path. Mistakes have a way of helping us absorb the truth quicker and helps us get rid of the delusion that there is only one way to do things. It brings us to a place of teachability and receptiveness that can influence our perspectives and help us grow. It’s called taking a bite of the humble pie.
2. Makes You More Compassionate Towards Yourself
Often times, we’re way too hard on ourselves. We set unrealistically high goals and when we fail to reach them or make a mistake along the way, we tend to let it negatively affect us. However, there are always two sides to a coin. Instead of beating up yourself about it, use this moment to be a self-compassionate. This is something that will allow you to motivate yourself and push towards your goals. Research confirms that compassionate acceptance of our own mistakes enhances our enthusiasm and determination to move forward toward our goals. This is a chance for you to step away from the choices you’ve made and take a nonjudgemental but discerning look at what set the chain in motion and what the real effect of the whole situation was.
3. Allows Us To Take Risks Without Fear
If you actually think about just how much we fear things in life, you would be shocked. What we don’t realise is that the constant worry and fearing outcomes take a heavy toll on our health. When we think about or fear certain outcomes, we tend to give it energy and attention, which in turn, gets our mind wound around it. The thing about failing and making mistakes is that it forces you to confront your fears head-on. This, in turn, helps you realise that maybe these fears aren’t as big of a catastrophe as you thought they were. There is a certain sense of fearlessness that comes with failure that allows you to be more confident in your decisions. This process opens you up to so many more possibilities. You know what they say, if you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t taking big enough risks.
4. The Best Possible Motivation
Even though it may seem counterintuitive, what actually knocks us down is what’s going to help us get back up and move forward. All you need is a little resilience! While mistakes and failure take a toll on your mind and health, you can’t allow yourself to get complacent. Hitting a dead end will help you rethink your strategy which in turn, can help motivate you to become better. Sometimes failure truly can point you in the right direction.
5. Mistakes Help Us Expand Our Horizons
Here is something that people seem to often overlook. Many of us underestimate just how much failure and mistakes help us. It helps us break out of our limited views and forces us to largen our perspective and expand our horizons. It helps us regroup and introspect and then shows us where we went wrong. You can then use this knowledge to expand your base and grow from it. Mistakes keep you nimble, creative and open you up to a larger picture that is focused on expansion rather than perfection.
It is essential that you remember that all your hard work counts! It doesn’t matter if you fail or make a mistake. What matters is that you take it in your stride, learn from it and pick yourself back up! What are some of the lessons you’ve learnt from your mistakes? Let us know in the comments below.
Don’t forget to follow us at @missmalinilifestyle to never miss a beat!