We all have heard that mistakes are essential for growth to happen. Failures, career speed bumps, and missteps teach you important lessons, which you then use to fuel yourself forward. They make us better, more resilient, and more intelligent business owners. But they sure do suck at the moment.
Whether it is working somewhere toxic for too long, missing an important deadline, a product failing to launch successfully, or choosing to go left when the answer is up, we have all been there. You don’t get to have a career without stumbling every once in a while. It’s how you get over that stumble that is essential.
Are you ready for five tips on growing through business mistakes? You are going to make them, and it will be okay. Now, what do you do next?
1. Search for the Mistake
We often don’t realize we have made a mistake until it is too late. We often see the repercussions of an error instead of the error itself. And those repercussions are usually much worse than the misstep. For example, you may produce lackluster material for your clients, and they may express disappointment in your work.
Something has gone wrong here.
Audit your personal and professional life consistently. Are you genuinely finding happiness and success, or are you struggling to move forward? Some happiness gurus say you should audit your lives every month, while others say every quarter. I think the timing doesn’t matter as long as you consistently evaluate your actions and choices mindfully.
In the example above, perhaps you are making mistakes in your work because it isn’t bringing you happiness or the clients don’t match your business’s vision. Stop. Access. Evaluate. Then, move forward.
2. Search the Why
Sure, you made an error, but what caused it to be a mistake? Often, something fails because of a “user error” somewhere. Perhaps you didn’t have the correct information, tools, or people in place. Or maybe you misinterpreted a problem, reaction, or person. Search for the why of the mistake – not just the failure itself.
From there, you can access what needs to change, topics you need to know more about or processes that should evolve when you try again. These decisions will lead you to the next steps. Don’t just try again – educate yourself first.
3. Search for Education
Once pinpointing why something was a mistake, educate yourself about the topic. There are experts in every subject imaginable, just waiting to give you the knowledge they have on a topic.
I struggle with communication. Why? I assume everyone is in my brain, understanding what I am saying, doing, or thinking, making my contact short, abrupt, and muddy. When I realized just how much of an issue this was in my career, I sought out books on communication and courses on understanding other styles of thinking. I wouldn’t improve by knowing my shortcomings; I needed experts to show me steps to move forward.
4. Search for the Fit
Everyone listens to different radio stations for a reason. People have other preferences based on their own experiences. As you search for education, you will find the same among experts. Some teaching will tell you to build a boat, while others will ask you to build a train. Both ways will move you in another direction but are entirely different processes. Just as you have a target demographic, experts do, too. Find the resource that speaks to you, in your language, and for your business. If something doesn’t fit, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong – just that it is wrong for you.
Are you not sure what your fit is anymore? Join us for our free webinar, “3 Business Mistakes to Avoid.” This 15-minute “The Fitness of Your Business” webinar will teach you how to overcome three business mistakes you may be making. Register here.
5. Search for Small Steps
One mistake is not going to catapult you further into success automatically. To form new habits, you need small steps. Tackle 1 small step at a time – 1 small lesson you learned. If you try to overhaul everything at once, you are setting yourself up for more failure.
For example, your new small group training failed to launch successfully, and you realized this was because you didn’t know enough about marketing. So, you educated yourself on marketing to your target demographic. Now, implement one thing at a time! This week, focus on one thing. Then, next week, add another. Then, another. Let the process slowly build so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
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