Mistakes are a part of each one of our life. No one can say that I have never ‘made a mistake’. In fact, mistakes are the indicators that we are alive. We human beings are driven by desire and passion. Every moment we keep creating new wants for ourselves. That carving of wanting to have more of everything that we love, say money, possessions, relations etc., is the catalyst that keeps our energy levels high.

With an intent to achieve our desires, we keep making efforts in the best possible directions. Sometimes our actions meet results, and at some other times, they may go wrong. When the output does not meet our expectations, we define it as a mistake.

What do you do when you find yourself in a position where you have committed a mistake? Repent? Regret? Or Rework? As a Career Coach, I have observed that people make blunders and get stuck in their careers. They do not seem to realise that the blunder once happened can never be repaired in the past! The point to be noted is that the real challenge is to “move ahead” from past mistakes.

Here are three action ideas suggested for those who have just now realised that they have committed a mistake somewhere.        

  • Correction
  • Transformation
  • Deletion

Correction

Well, one can never go back into the past and rework. There is no reverse time machine in this universe. Check if you can correct your mistake someway or manipulate the elements of the circumstances to mitigate the impact.

For example, you took a wrong decision and accepted a particular job offer. A few weeks into the system, you realise a significant mismatch between your understanding and reality. There is no point in worrying or getting stressed about the situation at this stage. Ideally, you must first accept the fact and check if there is any scope for correction.

Can you speak to someone to change your job role? Can you realign yourself with the new job role? Is there any other way the things could be corrected? Think and start making efforts in the calibrated direction.

Transformation

If the idea of correction doesn’t seem to work, the next logical strategy for you is to ideate a transformation.

Think if you can look at the mistake as a blessing in disguise. Many times, what you call it a mistake actually can lead to a significant transformation opportunity.

Laddu Pinto wanted to build a career into medicine. A decade back, he made a few attempts to get a place in a medical college. His biggest mistake was not studying hard. He took the selection process casually. The competition was tough, and he could not get admission. Later, Laddu joined a reputed research institution and started accumulating insights on his next most liked subject – ‘molecular biology’.

During the recent pandemic, he got an opportunity to be a part of an international research team working on creating the corona vaccine! Laddu swears that he is the happiest person today. He has a great sense of accomplishment, having played a significant role in formulating the vaccine which saved the life of billions of people on this planet. The point to be noted is that Laddu converted a mistake into a point of pride for himself! Can you do something like this? Think about it.

Deletion

If the above two ideas do not work, accept and move ahead.   

Yes, you need to expunge the unwanted happening from your life. Delete that experience altogether from your mind records. Initially, it may be challenging to do so. However, when goings get tough, the tough get going! Isn’t it?       

There could be no better way to deal with your mistakes at this stage. Just forget, forgive and look at new horizons in life ahead.

Do contact me in case you have any career queries.

Dr. Ajit Varwandkar is the Director of myaglakadam.com. He is a leading career counsellor and can be contacted on 9826132972 or email him at info@fsindia.in

This column was originally published by the author in The Times of India