How to Stop Making Careless Mistakes
Realize that making mistakes is normal., Keep a log of the mistakes that you make each week., Identify what made that mistake careless., Talk with someone else about your mistakes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Realize that making mistakes is normal.
So you made a mistake? Don’t panic.
We are human and we all make mistakes sometimes.
Recent psychology studies show that there are two common ways that the brain responds after you’ve made a mistake – one says, “Pay attention!” and is like a wake-up call where you think “what happened and why?” The second way is more like the brain shuts down, perceives the negative feedback you give yourself as a threat, and then avoids thinking about it altogether.
People in the studies who responded in the first way were more likely to learn from their mistakes and change their behavior.
People who responded in the second way, who shut down completely or panicked, were more likely to repeat the same types of mistakes over and over again. -
Step 2: Keep a log of the mistakes that you make each week.
Are the mistakes made at work or at school? Or are they made at home? While you’re driving or running errands? Did you fail to meet a deadline at work? Did you forget to pay a bill or feed a pet? Lock your keys in your car? Run out of gas? Admitting your mistakes and understanding what types of mistakes you are making is a great start.
Keeping track of patterns in the mistakes that you make can help you to figure ways to avoid making them again. , Ask yourself why you might have made a certain type of mistake.
Were you in a hurry because you procrastinated? Were you stressed out and thinking about something else? Next to each mistake in your log, jot down how you could have avoided making it in the first place.
Example: allowed more time to do this, started this earlier, stayed more focused on what I was doing, etc. , Many people make careless mistakes, and some people you know may have ideas on how they have overcome the habits that led to making them.
Try talking with a trusted friend about what mistakes you’re making; chances are, if it’s a friend with whom you have things in common, he or she has made the same mistakes.
If you’re making mistakes at work, talking with a more experienced co-worker that you get along with about how you might avoid making them could offer you some good insight. -
Step 3: Identify what made that mistake careless.
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Step 4: Talk with someone else about your mistakes.
Detailed Guide
So you made a mistake? Don’t panic.
We are human and we all make mistakes sometimes.
Recent psychology studies show that there are two common ways that the brain responds after you’ve made a mistake – one says, “Pay attention!” and is like a wake-up call where you think “what happened and why?” The second way is more like the brain shuts down, perceives the negative feedback you give yourself as a threat, and then avoids thinking about it altogether.
People in the studies who responded in the first way were more likely to learn from their mistakes and change their behavior.
People who responded in the second way, who shut down completely or panicked, were more likely to repeat the same types of mistakes over and over again.
Are the mistakes made at work or at school? Or are they made at home? While you’re driving or running errands? Did you fail to meet a deadline at work? Did you forget to pay a bill or feed a pet? Lock your keys in your car? Run out of gas? Admitting your mistakes and understanding what types of mistakes you are making is a great start.
Keeping track of patterns in the mistakes that you make can help you to figure ways to avoid making them again. , Ask yourself why you might have made a certain type of mistake.
Were you in a hurry because you procrastinated? Were you stressed out and thinking about something else? Next to each mistake in your log, jot down how you could have avoided making it in the first place.
Example: allowed more time to do this, started this earlier, stayed more focused on what I was doing, etc. , Many people make careless mistakes, and some people you know may have ideas on how they have overcome the habits that led to making them.
Try talking with a trusted friend about what mistakes you’re making; chances are, if it’s a friend with whom you have things in common, he or she has made the same mistakes.
If you’re making mistakes at work, talking with a more experienced co-worker that you get along with about how you might avoid making them could offer you some good insight.
About the Author
Justin Peterson
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
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