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8 Things You Need To Know About Fixing Mistakes

Fix Your Mistakes And Start A New Life

It's never easy to admit you're not right 100% of the time. However, it's essential to know when to back down and admit your mistakes. How you view mistakes can tell a lot about your character.

It's important to have a positive attitude toward slip-ups. If you admit you made a mistake, you can work at correcting it quicker than if you deny it ever happened. Of course, if you never acknowledge your blunders, you'll never be able to fix them.

Who Makes Mistakes?

Let's consider people you know and respect. Have they ever had a lapse of judgment? Of course, they have! The question is, do they "fess up" to their mistakes, or do they try to hide them out of embarrassment? In reality, if someone slips up and tries to hide it, that's when people begin to distrust them not because they made a mistake in the first place!

We all make mistakes; after all, no one's perfect. When you make a mistake, it's easy to ignore the problem or blame someone else for it. The problem with either of these solutions is that you're eroding the trust others have in you a little bit each day.

Admitting you've made a mistake is part of building a trusting relationship. By accepting your failures, you're letting other people know you can take responsibility for your actions and the consequences that follow. Open the door and allow yourself to make things right! Here are the 8 steps to fixing mistakes.

1 Accept That You've Made A Mistake

Take responsibility for it. Decide within yourself that it's better for you to take ownership of the situation. Do not try to deny that the mistake happened or cover it up.

2 Discuss It With The People Involved

Ask the other people involved if you can talk about your mistake. Ask what you did wrong, and how you might correct it. An honest discussion always helps.

3 Allow Others To Express Their Feelings

Allow other people to express how they feel about the mistake. Also, ask them what they think the consequences might be. They will feel better once their feelings are expressed, making it easier to resolve things.

4 Listen To The Other Person

Put yourself in their shoes. Listen to what the other person is saying. How would you feel if the situation was reversed?

5 Apologize And Mean It

Apologize to the other person genuinely. You may want to explain your reasons for doing what you did. However, it may help the other person see that your heart was in the right place if that's the case.

6 Do What You Can To Make Things Right

Work with the other person to decide on the best way for you to make amends. Make things right when you are wrong. Try to do this in a calm, reassuring way.

7 Be Determined To Learn From Your Mistake

Learn from your mistake. Do whatever you can to avoid making the same blunder in the future. Tell the other person how you'll act differently.

8 Don't Dwell On Your Mistake

After you've talked it over with the other person and determined to make amends, let it go! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on. Remember, though, that you may be starting over in building back the trust that you once had.

It's never easy admitting mistakes. Sometimes, all you want to do is run rather than admit them. However, knowing when to back down and accept your mistakes is part of growing up, being mature, and showing the responsibility that in the long run encourages people to respect you.



About Author

Jackie Wing

Jackie Wing is an Alaska native, who enjoys snowboarding more than is probably socially acceptable. She lives in Anchorage with her two dogs Reese and Peanut, or as she likes to call them "Thing 1" and "Thing 2."