by Julia Trotter

Being able to try again and make something better is one of the perks of making mistakes.

Everyone knows that mistakes are a part of life, but what you might not know is that there are a number of reasons why it’s okay to make mistakes. I will admit that I like to strive for perfection in everything that I do, however I know that if I mess up here and there that it won’t be the end of the world. Knowing why it’s okay to make mistakes in your life is key to happy living. I’ve learned just how important these reasons can be in my life and I’m sure you will be able to apply them to yours!

1. YOU CAN LEARN FROM THEM

One of the best reasons why it’s okay to make mistakes is being able to learn from them. When you were a child and you fell off your bicycle and scraped your knee, it might’ve hurt but you learned that trying to do a wheelie down your street might not be the smartest idea. This same concept happens to adults all of the time except in more “adult” situations. You may not just be scraping your knee but you’re still learning a lesson and becoming more mature! Instead of “learn something new every day,” the phrase should be “learn something new every mistake”!

2. WE ALL DO IT

If you think that you are the only person in the entire world who can make as many mistakes as you, I can definitely prove you wrong! A daily thought of mine used to consist of, “why can’t I just do this right?” or “why do I constantly make mistakes?” … this would bring my attitude down the rest of the day! But then I started talking to some of my friends and family about this and I learned that I was definitely not alone. So try not to freak out when you see that bad grade on your test, or you accidentally stepped on your brother’s glasses. Remember that in this big, huge world there has to have been at least one person who has made the same mistake and they survived.

3. YOU ARE ONLY HUMAN

Humans were not made to be perfect. Every person is special and unique in their own way! And making mistakes is a part of who you are! If you have never made a mistake in your entire lifetime, then there is something wrong with you. Whether it is something as small as not doing your homework one night or something as big as failing a class, making a mistake is bound to happen! You can try to avoid them as best as possible but if you do slip up, remember that it’ll always be okay!

4. YOU CAN ALWAYS TRY AGAIN

Remember when you brought home that really bad test grade and your parents told you to do better next time? Well they were giving you a world of advice in just one sentence! Being able to try again and make something better is one of the perks of making mistakes. Maybe you overreacted and you screamed at your boyfriend or girlfriend last week and you haven’t talked since. It was a mistake to yell at them but you can always try and fix it! Going back and saying that you’re sorry for yelling and that you overreacted is a sign that you’re learning! And the next time you get into an argument with someone, you can try to keep your head and apply what you learned from your mistakes.

5. MISTAKES FUEL AMBITION

Whenever I don’t do as well as I wanted to on a test in school, it makes me want to do that much better the next time! Making mistakes is my push to making myself all that I can be. I watched the Disney movie “Meet the Robinsons” when I was younger, and one of the main messages was “keep moving forward.” This stuck with me and always reminds me that even if I make a million and one mistakes, I can have a million and one chances to make it better.

6. IT IS A PART OF LIFE

There are many aspects to life that are good and bad and making mistakes is one of them! It may not be the best part but it is definitely unavoidable. Which is okay! You just need to learn to deal with the fact that life is about learning and you can’t learn without messing things up and getting things back together again!

7. MISTAKES HELP YOU FIGURE OUT WHO YOU ARE

Doing things that you are unsure about is a way that you can start to find out who you are. What other people think is a mistake might differ from what you think. You have to find out on your own. Now I’m not saying that just because other people say that jumping off of a bridge is a mistake that you should go try it out just to find out. But trying a cupcake that someone else doesn’t like is a way to discover if you like it or not. The other person might think it was a mistake but you might really love that cupcake!

If you have a Type A personality like I do, then you know how hard it can be to accept making mistakes. But the reality is that mistakes are essential to living a healthy life. Without having things go wrong or not having everything come out as planned, you wouldn’t be able to learn from these things and avoid them next time! So the next time that something doesn’t turn out how you wanted it to, don’t be too hard on yourself. Remind yourself that you can always do better and that you are not alone! Did any of these tips help? Do you have any more reasons why it’s okay to make mistakes?

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Read this article in All Women Stalk

 

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