In this day of “everyone’s a winner” and “participation trophies” your first real big failure can take it’s toll, especially when it comes later in life. But research shows that it’s actually better for you if you have to overcome the obstacles that come with screwing up. So go easy on yourself. Try new things without fear. Shoot for the moon. Give yourself permission to fail.
How do you get over that initial fear of making a mistake then? Here are some simple tips-
Step 1: Begin a new project by explicitly acknowledging what is difficult and unfamiliar, and accepting that you will need some time to really get a handle on it. You may make some mistakes, and that’s ok. That’s how ability works – it develops. (Repeat this to yourself as often as needed.)
Step 2: Reach out to others when you run into trouble. Too often, we hide our mistakes, rather than sharing them with those who could give us guidance. Mistakes don’t make you look foolish – but acting like you are a born expert on everything certainly will.
Step 3: Try not to compare your own performance to other people’s (I know this is hard, but try.) Instead, compare your performance today to your performance last week, last month, or last year. You may make mistakes, you may not be perfect, but are you improving? That’s the only question that matters.
So throw caution to the wind and check out the other tips HERE.
Leave a Reply