Redefine Your Failures to Lessons Learned

Taking each previous experience you labeled a failure and redefining it to a lesson learned will focus your attention on what is gained from mistakes rather than what was lost in the lesson. By learning from our mistakes they can no longer be defined as a failure and will be a part of our successes.

Those that process their errors and move forward fastest root themselves in overcoming rather than in regret. By taking appropropriate action and leading with a vision going forward you’re mistakes can become assets and lessons for yourself and those around you.

One of the most important things you can do is own up to your mistakes. By admitting them and moving towards the solution is a story worth communicating. A person who continues to share over and over the drama of his mistakes and failures without ever discussing the solution becomes a nuicance to listen to. Sharing a mistake and discussing how you overcame it will make you someone worth paying attention to. It takes courage to admit when you were wrong but great leaders move in a positive direction when they do.

“Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way… unless it is a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from,” observes satirist Al Franken.

Brainstorming with your team and using the resources and teachers around you to overcome the errors made will engage the team in the solution rather than keeping them in the problem and the blame game. Applying the different opinions and strategies of your network to solve your issues will improve the success of the challenges you are faced with.

The more mistakes you make the more successes you will have. Do not get rooted in the fear of making another mistake and stop trying. The people around you will no longer look negatively on mistakes made when the stigma and burden is shifted to the positive and each is working together in an open honest environment where mistakes are ok.