Own up to your mistakes
One of the hardest things for me to do is admit mistakes. Owning up to a bad decision, a mistake or a failure is never easy. Is it the same for you? Dealing with the consequences from a mistake can last a moment, a little while or even the rest of your life. The longevity and severity of the consequence depend on the issue at hand.
Fear, anxiety, nervousness, disappointment, shame and even anger are all emotions that can accompany a mistake. The unknown can make these emotions even worse. When you know the consequences and are prepared for it then you can deal with the possibility of failure easier. But when the repercussions are unknown it can wreak havoc on our minds to imagine how bad it will be.
Mistakes happen in all areas of our lives and, unfortunately, the consequences don’t stay confined to the specific areas in which we fail. Financial mistakes can roll over and affect our family, jobs, and others. A failure at work can impact home life and finances if the mistake is big enough.
It is easy to think of the big mistakes and how consequences wipe out a lot of the good we are doing. But the small decisions and small consequences can add up over time and be devastating years later. That’s why I try to listen to my boys every time they have something to tell me. I want them to tell me all the details and everything that went on in their lives while I am away or they are at school. I do this because the little things to be are big things in their worlds. I’m afraid of the consequences if I don’t listen to the “big things” now. The big things for them now are make believe stories, non-sensical jokes, made-up comic books, and forts built in the bedroom. I want to listen to these things because in just a few years their big things will be things like peer pressure, girls, jobs, drugs, and who knows what else. My decision to listen to them now could have huge consequences if I make the wrong choice too many times.
I don’t want to face the consequences down the road when the actions are so simple right now. Even with the best intentions, we have to face the outcomes of our poor decisions. There are good ways and bad ways to face our mistakes. The best way, is to own up to the decisions and mistakes immediately and face the consequences before they get worse. It’s not easy to do, it takes overcoming all the negative emotions knowing it will be better in the long run.
My 4 year old recently reminded me of this. His maturity and bravery impressed me as it was way beyond his years. During a recent project, he walked up to me and said, “Daddy, I made a mistake. I broke your truck window.” He said he threw a rock and broke the window. I thought he must not understand something based on his demeanor and up-front admission. We went to investigate, and sure enough, the window was broken.
It made me proud to see how he owned up to his mistake and didn’t run away, hide, or lie to get out of the consequence. He likely didn’t know what would happen, but he knew it wasn’t good. Surprisingly, I wasn’t angry. I was frustrated to have to buy a rear glass for my truck but I couldn’t be mad at him. He told me what happened and we discussed his actions and the consequences for the mistake. He later said, “throwing rocks… BAD;” “telling the truth, GOOD!” I pray he continues to foster this sense of honesty and strength as he faces many more mistakes in life.
We will all see many mistakes in our lives. How we deal with them will determine our success in life. I am trying to follow my son’s example and make sure I own up to my mistakes. It is hard, and you have to face some tough consequences sometimes. In the end, it will pay off to be forthcoming and own up to your mistakes.