Tag-Archive for ◊ mistakes ◊

27 Aug 2010 What To Do When You Mess Up

Broken WindowWe all “mess up” at times right? That is a part of being human.

The real issue is not really:

Do you make mistakes?

but rather:

What do you do when you “mess up”?

The other day I visited Barns and Noble, which is a regular habit of mine. That day though I actually went to pick up something from the Office Depot next door and of course I could not miss the opportunity to see what was new in my favorite bookstore :)

One book jumped out at me, written by Larry Winget. It’s title says:

I guess that would catch your attention too right?

Well that was the book of the day to read as I savored some Starbucks coffee. It is an easy read, straight shooting book full of rich content, so it went home with me.

It was in this book I found a simple three step practical solution to follow when you “mess up”.

  • Face it
  • Fix It
  • Move on

Well that’s easy enough right?

The big problem is we make a camping ground of our mistakes (or those around us do as they won’t let us forget). Knowing that we may be reminded of our errors we may even be tempted to try and hide them. Of course they don’t get fixed that way.

The best way to get out of a mess IS:

Face it - it happened. You can’t unscramble eggs right?
You did it whether you meant to or not. So no excuses required.

Fix it - there is always a solution. Every problem has a solution.
Use your energy on looking for the solution, not in wallowing in regret.

Move on – maybe here we could say: Shake it off!
Don’t camp there. There’s more life to live! So don’t take this weight with you. You faced it and fixed it now leave it!

So what can you do when you mess up? Follow Larry Winget’s advice, its good.

JillFace it, fix it, move on. Live life to the fullest!

This makes me sick


P.S. I am sure you would enjoy reading some of Larry’s writing, so here is one of his ebooks. Take a look right now.

Click on the image to find out more.


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