We all make mistakes, but sometimes they stay with us for years afterward. Struggling to move on in life can take its toll on your mental health, so it’s essential to learn how to accept your mistakes to move on and make a positive impact on the world around you.
So keep reading as we share some of the best ways to admit your mistakes and move forward to live a life you will be proud of.
Being Mortal
by Atul Gawande
⏱ 14 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Accept That Mistakes Happen
No one in the world is perfect. That’s the first step to accepting your past mistakes. We all make mistakes, no matter our age, education, or family background. No one is immune to errors, and they are often not entirely our fault.
However, the sooner you can accept that making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn and grow, the easier it will be to move forward with your life. While we’d all like to pretend certain things didn’t happen, that isn’t possible. Keep this in mind on those days where you can’t help overthinking the past.
Learn From Your Mistakes
Acknowledging the errors in your actions is the best way to move forward from your mistakes. Mistakes teach us lessons, and you’ll only grow when you start to make changes based on your past actions.
If you are struggling to let go of something you did or said, think about what you could have done differently to avoid this outcome. Once you’ve acknowledged the changes, you would like to make in the future, accept the feelings and stop thinking about the past.
Overthinking the past isn’t change what happened, but you can always strive to be a better person tomorrow.
Stop Being So Self Critical
One of the reasons that we overthink mistakes is that we are too critical of ourselves. Those around us won’t even notice the majority of our mistakes. An error that you are currently regretting probably isn’t even remembered by anyone else.
Try to keep this in mind when you worry too much about the past. Remember, the world doesn’t revolve around you, and we all have our troubles to work through. Don’t let one small error hold you back from enjoying your free time and the relationships you’ve worked hard to cultivate in your life.
Apologize When Needed
If your mistake or regret involves someone else, it’s time to apologize. Not every situation requires someone else or requires an apology, but if you think one may be due, it’s time to own up to your mistakes.
While this might be a challenging or awkward conversation to have, you’ll feel a tremendous amount of relief afterward. If the other person doesn’t accept your apology, there’s nothing else you can do besides be better going forward. However, you’ll feel better for trying anyway.
Don’t force an apology if you don’t genuinely believe what you are saying, and take the time to think about what you will say. There’s nothing worse than a fake apology, and that will only work to make the situation worse in the long run.
Plan Ahead For The Future
When a mistake occurs in a situation that you regularly find yourself in, it’s time to start planning for the future. For example, if you found yourself unprepared for a test and cheated on the exam, make sure you give yourself enough time to study next time.
This principle can be applied to any area of your life, but you need to schedule your time correctly. Don’t rush activities that need lots of attention and focus, as mistakes and issues often occur.
You Are Not Your Mistakes
Many of us think that a tiny mistake defines our personality and life, but that’s not the case. Most people won’t even know about the minor error, so don’t let it interfere with your future. While mistakes can teach us great lessons, they should push us forward in life, not set us back.
So don’t let one slip up in the past stop you from living the life of your dreams in the future. You are more than just your mistakes; don’t let them stop you from achieving great things.
Be Kind To Yourself
Anyone who is taking the time to learn how to move on from mistakes. Be kind to yourself when you are overthinking, as our minds can play tricks on us. You’ve likely blown your past mistakes out of proportion, and if you take a step back and take a deep breath, you’ll often realize it wasn’t such a big deal.
Take some time to relax and stop overthinking, and you’ll soon see that what you thought was the end of the world wasn’t so bad after all.
Accepting your past mistakes is a process that will take time and effort. However, it’s essential to reflect on the past, as it’s the only way we grow as humans and become better. Make sure you apologize when needed, and ensure you do everything you can to avoid hurting other people.
Mistakes are a natural part of life, and we are never too old to change our ways. We encourage you to follow the steps listed above to rectify your past mistakes and to move on and start living a guilt-free life.
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