After you make a mistake…

,

You messed up. You made a mistake. Now, what should you do???
Admit and apologize sooner than later. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it wasn’t your fault. Don’t do that! The sooner you admit it, the quicker you can work to correct it. Make your apology and start the process of fixing the situation.
Set clear intentions. Think about what happened and what you intend to do to fix it. What do you want the new outcome to be? Set up a process to remedy the situation. Did you hurt someone’s feelings? Go to them and let them know you are genuinely sorry and ask how you can make it up to them. Be honest and sincere.
Don’t give up. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean you can’t be the one to correct it AND it might take time. If you hurt someone’s feelings, and they did not immediately accept your apology, consider how you can continue to show remorse and/or make it up to them.
Don’t repeat the mistake. Learn from your error. Do you need to work slower to be more precise? Then work slower. Do you have to think before you speak? Take the time to think. If you don’t know how to “do it right,” ask someone to show you how to correct the situation. Use it as a learning opportunity.
Forgive yourself. Realize that everyone makes mistakes and that you can use this opportunity to grow and learn. You can’t change the past, but you can change your outlook. You can have many failings without being a failure. Be positive and move forward!

Written By

drmimi

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