As a professional, making a mistake at work can have all kinds of consequences. It may well impact how others see your performance, but mostly, the biggest problem is how it makes you feel. It can severely impact your self-confidence and cause you to feel like you aren’t as good at your job. This issue can then escalate if it is not dealt with, leading to further feelings of imposter syndrome, and potentially leading you to lose confidence in your work decisions, which means your performance could eventually be impacted even if the original mistake wasn’t any reflection on your skillset.
Phew, it’s difficult, isn’t it?
The good news is that there are plenty of ways that you can move past the mistake that you made at work. In fact, the sooner that you move on, the better you will feel and the more effective you will be at your job.
To help you, here’s how to bounce back from mistakes at work:
Feel Really Bad About It
That’s right! You are allowed to feel awful about making a mistake. You can cringe, you can beat yourself up, you can cry - you are allowed to feel negative about what is a distressing, embarrassing and frustrating scenario. What you are not allowed to do is wallow in this feeling. You have to let it out, and then let it go. Those emotions do not need to get stuck and prevent you from moving forward and they’re unlikely to do so if you actively acknowledge them and let them out in the first place.
Will You Feel Bad About This in A Year?
It is so important to maintain perspective about your mistake. Assuming that nobody passed away or was mortally wounded by your mistake, it’s really not the end of the world. Does it feel like it? Maybe. But in a year, are you likely to feel like you do now about this mistake? Probably not. You do your best; it is not life or death and this problem will be resolved quickly.
Get Another Job
It is important to note that disengaged employees are 60% more likely to make mistakes compared to their colleagues who are engaged with their work. It may be that you’re going through something outside of work that has affected how ‘into’ your job you are. If that is the case, that outside issue needs addressing (see below). However, it could be a sign, for some, that the job just isn’t working out for you. If that is the case, use this mistake as a sign that it’s time to move on.
Confront The Worst That Can Happen
One way that OCD is treated is by encouraging patients to confront their worst-case scenario. It often helps with conditions like OCD and anxiety because you are forced to confront what could happen, and suddenly the unknown and the fear can be released. For example, you get fired for your mistake. Is it likely? Probably not. However, if your do get fired will you get another job? Yes. Will you survive? Yes. You have so much to offer, one mistake does not define you.
Take Ownership
One of the worst things you can do when you make a mistake at work is to deny that you made a mistake. This will present you in a really bad light, and it will probably put your colleagues off working with you again. However, if you keep going on about your mistake, how will you, or anybody else move on? Own up, apologize and say that you are working on a solution, or you are aware and will do better next time. There’s no need for anything more.
Learn From Your Mistake
One of the best ways to bounce back from a mistake is to learn from it. Did you need more time? Could you have been more emotionally controlled? Were you disorganized? Analyze what happened so you can prevent it from happening again.
Love Yourself
Being horrible to yourself over the mistake will not help you to bounce back from anything. You are human, you make mistakes, and you will make them again. Nobody is perfect. Perhaps, the mistake is a sign that you have needed to love yourself more in recent times.
Have you been burning the candle at both ends? Have you been feeling a little low? Perhaps it’s time to take a holiday. Maybe you need to do some yoga, eat better, or maybe get an appointment with the doctor. There are so many ways to love yourself more. Being better with your mental and physical wellness means being better at your job and preventing further mistakes. It’s an investment in yourself.
Do Better
Regardless of why you made the mistake that you did, the fact is that you did make a mistake and you need to show that you have grown from it. If you repeatedly make mistakes at work, your employer is likely to take issue. To help everybody move on from your mistake you need to change things with actions, not with words.
For example, you were rude to a client on the phone because you feel burnt out. Saying sorry to the client and your employer will only go so far to convince everybody that you are owning your mistake. However, persistent excellent customer service, 5* reviews, and phenomenal work will leave your mistake far in the past.
You are not the sum total of your mistakes, you are a strong, qualified professional with the ability to bounce back. With the tips above, and a lot of self-love and honesty you can not only move on from your mistake, but you can flourish and thrive in your career moving forward.
