Figmentations

So, how are we to resolve the mental tug-of-war that can come up around the topic of making mistakes?  

For example, there can appear to be a clear conflict between: (1) the desire to completely avoid making potentially detrimental mistakes, while also (2) hearing that if we’re not making mistakes then we’re not learning and thus less likely to achieve the same level of success than if we did. 

Here would be some thoughts to consider:

Mistakes Can’t Always Be Avoided.  While I don’t believe that there is a perfect criteria for making decisions that can prevent us from ever making bad decisions, I do believe that it would be a mistake not to take into account readily-available well-substantiated decision-making guidelines.

Fear Doesn’t Always Help Us.  There are clear benefits to overcoming the fear of making mistakes.  Misplaced fears will:  prevent action from being taken (including positive action); prevent the potential of learning from taking place; and will affect our ability to make better decisions in the future.

Information Overload Is Immobilizing.  Many of us are already familiar with the advice to avoid obsessing about gathering every last crumb of information before making a decision since that will inevitably lead to the dreaded immobilization of “analysis paralysis”.  The ability to find the ever-elusive “correct amount” of information only gets easier with practice.

Judgment Develops Over Time. I think we need to face the fact that we often have to make the best decisions that we can with what we have at hand.  And, we need to believe that our judgment and intuition can and will get better over time, but only if we choose to exercise them. 

Always Adapt To Change.  Due to the very nature of uncertainty, it is important to stay aware that the strategies, learning, and criteria that worked for us in the past might not apply in the same way in all situations.  We always need to adapt as the times, situations, and circumstances change.

So, I think we can conclude that this doesn’t need to be an “either/or” choice.  We don’t need to choose between asking: (1) how can I make fewer mistakes? or, (2) how do I get more comfortable with making mistakes, but instead, by replacing the “or” with an “and”, seeing the benefit of addressing both questions simultaneously.

Would you agree?  I would love to hear your thoughts.  Please feel free to leave a comment below.