4 Things To Do When You Make Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, right?

They feel slightly more intense when you work for yourself and your expertise is why people hire you in the first place. But yes, they do still happen.

Here is what I do when I make a mistake that you can implement too.

Step 1. Call my mom.

Ha!

No, seriously, I do! (sometimes)

My mom happens to be a wildly successful professional speaker, real estate trainer, and coach. She is a PRO at remaining neutral, helping me stay calm, and guiding me to making the next right decision when I really need someone to.

Every entrepreneur should have a trusted friend, coach, or mentor they can turn to in times of stress. My mom just happens to be my mentor, so maybe it’s better to rewrite Step 1 to: Call your mentor.

(Not every error warrants a call to a trusted advisor)

Step 2. Own it.

Admit that you made a mistake and that you apologize for the error. Oftentimes the person you are working with needs the acknowledgement that you were the one that was wrong. This can do wonders for any professional relationship. Imagine working with someone that was unable or unwilling to admit their wrongs. Yikes. Let’s opt for integrity here, friends.

Step 3. Fix it!

Is it fixable? Do it! Is it 8pm when you discovered the error? Fix it anyway.

Not fixable? Take a deep breath. Repeat Step 2 and also ask for advice or the opinion of the person you wronged. Some errors are more costly than others. Here are some examples of what you can say.

“Again, I apologize for this error. This project is important to me. How can I make it right?”

“I’m really disappointed that I didn’t catch this typo. I’m sorry. I will take the next 30 minutes of my personal time to review other campaigns we have scheduled.”

Step 4. Move your body - change your mind.

Go for a quick walk, or clean your kitchen. Shake it off - literally! Whatever that looks like in your space and in your body. I personally am a fan of taking a step outside when a mistake feels especially overwhelming.

That’s it! That is how I handle more significant mistakes or errors in my business. They are definitely not super common and often come with some ambiguity, however, no one is immune to them.

What would you add to this list?

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Thanks for reading.

-A