How to Identify and Learn from Your Mistakes

You can only learn from a mistake after you admit you've made it.

Don't start blaming other people (or the universe) for the things that go wrong, because you distance yourself from any possible lesson. 

We see mistakes and failure as shameful things. And we usually identify with them:

If I fail a test, then I am a failure. If I make a mistake then I am a mistake.

It requires three things:

• Putting yourself in situations where you can make interesting mistakes.
• Having the self-confidence to admit to them.
• Being courageous about making changes.

• Stupid: Absurdly dumb things that just happen. 
• Simple: Mistakes that are avoidable but your sequence of decisions made inevitable. 
• Involved: Mistakes that are understood but require effort to prevent.
• Complex: Mistakes that have complicated causes and no obvious way to avoid next time. 

When you can laugh at your own mistakes you know you've accepted it and no longer judge yourself on the basis of one single event. 

Humor loosens up your psychology and prevents you from obsessing about the past.