How to get second chances.
Let's face it, we've all made mistakes. The thing is, mistakes don't mean failure, they are just part of the process of succeeding. Still, they can really take a chuck out of your self-esteem. Especially when you are dealing with consequences of those mistakes like losing your job.
No one is perfect, and I am the first to admit that I, most definitely am not. I have made some huge mistakes in my life. I've been fired from two jobs and have changed career fields more times than I want to even think about.
The thing is, I know that my failures only serve to prove that I try a lot. See, if you don't make any mistakes, then you aren't challenging yourself.
The thing about mistakes is that we can all take something from them and move on. We deserve second chances, third chances and so on. In fact, I would venture so far as to say that we deserve as many chances as it takes to get it right.
So, how can you move on from your mistakes and get to work on your second chance? Here are a few tips that can help:
- Forget the mistake, but not the lesson – Just let it go. Don't beat yourself up about it because you can't be effective after a beating. Instead, hold on to the lesson. It sometimes we feel that if we don't suffer after making a mistake that we don't care. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Embrace the mistake, then let it go. Just remember what caused it and be on the look out to make sure you don't fall in the same spot again.
- Think positive – Negative thoughts just generate more negativity. No matter how bad the mistake was, it could always have been worse. Look for the positive and focus on building more positive thoughts.
- Take responsibility – Don't look for other people or circumstances to blame the mistake on. Accept responsibility and do what you can to correct things or minimize the damage. A huge part of living your own life on your own terms is being accountable for your life. If you don't, someone else will. Leaving things for others to clean up is the same as giving up.
- Know what you want – Life is short and there simply isn't enough time to waste it living someone else's life. Take time to know what you want out of life. What are your hopes, your dreams and your aspirations? Once you know what you want, the path forward gets clearer.
- Be specific – Decide what you need to do and make very specific goals about how to get there. It isn't enough to just say that you want a better job. You have to know what you want and then create a strategy to get there.
Dealing with a mistake and working on a second (or third) chance is tough. It takes a lot of work and a heaping portion of humble pie. Still, it's better than just throwing your hands up in the air and giving up.
What do you do to get past mistakes? Do you think that everyone deserves more chances? Let me know in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for ManufacturingWorkersBlog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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