Mistakes

It’s a rare week that goes by when we don’t reflect back and think, “Hmmmm. I should have done ‘x’ instead of ‘y’.” Or “Ugh! That was not my most stellar move.” Or some such thing. And, if you haven’t had a similar thought over the past 7 days, congratulations. Way to go!

Because many have a tendency to ruminate on the should-a, would-a and could-a’s. We reflect and regret because we believe we erred. But let’s challenge that.

If you did or said something that was based on a value that outweighed another value, then how can that be a mistake? You weighed it out and moved on it. For example, if you valued being out until the sun came up more than you valued being fully engaged the following day. You considered your options and made a call. Given what you knew at the time, staying out until the crack of dawn was a perfect decision.

Now, that doesn’t mean you don’t later look back, and think twice about it. But in that moment, you made your decision based on countless input. You did what you did, with what you knew, believed, and valued, at that moment. So, how can that be a miscalculation on your part?

How freeing would it be to actually buy into that concept?