Two ways to think about your mistake

There are two ways to interpret making a mistake, and one is unambiguously more helpful.

On the one hand, you can interpret a mistake as a blow to your ego — mounting evidence of your inferiority relative to your peers and/or the standards you set for yourself. Doesn’t feel great.

Alternatively, you can interpret the realization you’ve made a mistake as an important milestone that, once achieved, provides clarity on how you can upgrade your thinking or abilities. It still may not feel great in the moment, but at least there’s light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Everyone, including you, is going to be wrong or miss the mark by some margin some of the time.

If you view the mistake as personal harm, it won’t help you. It can’t.

If you view the mistake as a tool, it can.