This article was co-authored by Julia Yacoob, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Dr. Julia Yacoob is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist practicing in New York City. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for adults coping with a variety of symptoms and life stressors. Dr. Yacoob earned an MS and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University, and pursued specialized training at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Institute for Behavior Therapy, and Bellevue Hospital Cancer Center. Dr. Yacoob is a member of the American Psychological Association, Women’s Mental Health Consortium, NYC Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association, and Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 194,848 times.

Making a mistake can be embarrassing or even shameful—but it doesn’t have to be. The truth is, everyone makes mistakes. By owning up to your mistakes and reflecting on where you went wrong, you can learn from your mistakes so that you don’t repeat them in the future. We talked to therapists and life coaches to learn exactly what you need to do to accept and analyze your mistakes, as well as how to best implement the lessons you learn along the way.

How to Learn from Your Mistakes Acknowledge your mistakes and own up to them as soon as possible after making them. Do what you can to correct them.
Ask yourself what you were trying to do, what went wrong, when it went wrong, and why it went wrong. Keep asking why until you get to the root cause.
Set goals for change by implementing the knowledge you gained through analyzing your mistakes. Maintain a growth mindset to make it easier to learn from mistakes. Steps
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Tips Forgive yourself for past errors and move on, grateful for the opportunity they provide you to learn and grow.[19]Thanks Tips from our Readers Instead of putting yourself down, ask yourself what you would say if a friend or family member made the same mistake. Then, tell yourself what you would tell your best friend. Warnings Avoid thinking you’re immune to mistakes, even if you’re really good at something. This kind of thinking can make it harder for you to accept your mistakes and learn from them when you do make them.[20]Thanks

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about personal growth, check out our in-depth interview with Julia Yacoob, PhD.

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about personal growth, check out our in-depth interview with Julia Yacoob, PhD.

Expert Interview
Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about personal growth, check out our in-depth interview with Julia Yacoob, PhD.

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about personal growth, check out our in-depth interview with Julia Yacoob, PhD.

References ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-of-success/201102/why-letting-yourself-make-mistakes-means-making-fewer-of-them
↑ https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/embrace-mistakes-to-build-a-learning-culture/
↑ Julia Yacoob, PhD. Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview
↑ Jennifer Butler, MSW. Love & Empowerment Coach. Expert Interview
↑ Julia Yacoob, PhD. Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview
↑ https://hbr.org/2010/04/youve-made-a-mistake-now-what
↑ Julia Yacoob, PhD. Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-of-willpower/201112/how-mistakes-can-make-you-smarter
↑ Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFP. Clinical Therapist & Adjunct Professor. Expert Interview ↑ Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFP. Clinical Therapist & Adjunct Professor. Expert Interview
↑ https://www.success.com/john-c-maxwell-how-to-make-the-most-of-your-mistakes/
↑ https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/embrace-mistakes-to-build-a-learning-culture/
↑ https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-students-to-embrace-mistakes-hunter-maats-katie-obrien
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-of-success/201102/why-letting-yourself-make-mistakes-means-making-fewer-of-them
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-of-success/201102/why-letting-yourself-make-mistakes-means-making-fewer-of-them
↑ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ryan-Korstange/publication/330563817_Developing_Growth_Mindset_Through_Reflective_Writing/links/5c4861b8299bf12be3ddba12/Developing-Growth-Mindset-Through-Reflective-Writing.pdf
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-work/201011/new-study-shows-humans-are-autopilot-nearly-half-the-time
↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/how-the-brain-reacts-to-mistakes.html
↑ https://www.coloradotech.edu/blog/2018/september/how-to-learn-from-your-mistakes
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-science-of-willpower/201112/how-mistakes-can-make-you-smarter About This Article

To accept mistakes and learn from them, you first need to tell yourself that it’s okay to mess up. Try and remember that we all make mistakes, especially when we’re trying new things. Instead of focusing on what you do wrong, think about what you do well. For example, maybe you didn’t cook the perfect dish but you were able to tell exactly what spice it needed just from tasting it. To learn from your mistakes, you should make an effort to correct them or figure out what to do differently next time. Keeping a journal of mistakes and successes can help you do that! For more advice from our co-author, including how to differentiate between a mistake and a bad decision, scroll down.

Reader Success Stories “I put a lot of effort into my presentation. Due to this, my presentation was so good and my boss is happy.”