It’s not easy to deal with mistakes. It brings you down emotionally and you may even find that you resist owning up to it. Successful people make mistakes, plenty of them. The difference is, they are willing to accept mistakes and learn from them. They may even be better for it. However it goes, they move past it and never make the same mistake again. They are aware that if they were to pretend the mistake didn’t happen in the first place, they’d get caught up in a negative cycle that would deplete their energy. That’s where a mistake becomes a failure.
So take these lessons learned from the most successful people and be mindful of what you’re doing so you can avoid these mistakes.
1. Don’t Ignore Your Gut Instinct
When you sense that something isn’t quite right, it’s best not to ignore these feelings. Even if you can’t explain why, follow your inner emotional guidance system. The hunch of a business person is a powerful tool. Successful people who have ignored their instincts will often admit that it was the cause of the mistake. Your instincts are one of the many important tools that ensure your success. They help you gain more perspective of what’s happening and helps you feel confident about decisions.
2. Failing to Ask the Right Questions
It’s not always easy to ask a million questions. It may feel aggressive or that you’re being intrusive. There are times when you have to ask those hard questions that get to the core of truth. If a successful person failed to do that even once, they won’t do it again. They will immediately realize that they should have inquired about that detail. It can be a very costly mistake.
3. Playing it Safe.
Playing it safe can end up being a mistake because you look to avoid mistakes. This doesn’t get you further than any other sheep in the herd though. The act of doing nothing is also a mistake. It’s those who take a little risk (using their gut instinct) who will be the ones to reap the rewards.
4. Banking on Something That Seems too Good to be True
There are people who may seem charming and charismatic. They make you feel excited about the future of where your company is going. Many successful people have fallen for that too-good-to-be-true deal. Do this once and you won’t fall for it again. Remember that there is no perfect person or perfect deal. Stay skeptical and don’t deviate from what you want in your future.
5. Being Emotional When Making a Decision
Consider this, marketing is all about preying on someone’s feelings. That’s what makes people purchase things they normally wouldn’t. They are being impulsive and not thinking. If you’ve ever done this, then you well know how incorrect some of those purchases are. Can you imagine if you were in that frame of mind when it comes to business? Bad judgment and poor decisions.
6. Laying Blame on Others
This is an epic mistake. You have to take responsibility for things that go wrong. Blaming others ensures that you will never learn your lesson. It is hard to admit you’ve failed but know this, a common trait with successful business people is that they hold themselves accountable. This gets them respect and allows them to change the game plan when things don’t go right.
7. Stretching Yourself out so Thin that You Burnout
While you have to work hard for your dreams, you also have to avoid burnout. Successful people have often burned out and have suffered some kind of loss over it, whether that be financial or otherwise. To be good at what you do, you have to have a fresh mind. You have to take care of yourself. It may seem counterproductive to enjoy leisure time, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
8. Avoid Taking Shortcuts
Thinking you can take a shortcut is a mistake, and often it will take you longer to fix the problem. All said and done, you hold yourself back from success by taking short cuts. Successful people have tried to do this and failed. They learn that there is no skipping the line. The slow and organic method of growth is going to take the cake every time.
9. Don’t Be a People Pleaser
It’s part of human nature to look for approval from others. Everyone wants to be a part of the inner circle and liked by all. Successful people have likely tried to please everyone in their company as well as their customers. It’s impossible to make everyone happy and it takes away from getting the job done correctly. What you’ll learn from successful people is that they focus on the core customers and have targets that are well defined. This keeps the company in alignment with their brand and beliefs.
10. Don’t Be Rigid
It’s important to be a go-getter and really focus on the prize, but you don’t want to be too rigid. Flexibility is important for your growth. Changing your mind when you see that it can bring positive change is important. If you’re unwilling to see the reality of things, you may make big mistakes.
11. Avoid Doing Things for Instant Gratification
Know this, if you wish to achieve any big goal, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and persistence. Anyone who has become successful will have learned long ago that there is a value in delaying gratification. The determination to succeed will supersede any feelings that come from instant pleasure.
12. Don’t be Dishonest
You know it’s important to be honest. Successful people may have done something in the past that wasn’t honest and have seen how it affects their business. You have to build a reputation of honesty within your business. Maybe you’ll make some money in the beginning by conning people but it won’t last.
Here are some of the important mistakes that big success stories have included. The reason people can still succeed past these mistakes is because they benefitted from them. They learned not to do it again and avoided further errors that could cost money, resources, and time. Try to avoid these if you can, and if you should make mistakes, make sure you learn what is to be learned and move forward.
