Quote-A-Day: Day 202

Making #mistakes is akin to making #progress. One cannot be separated from the other. #QuoteADay #Day202 #edchat #edu #MakeMistakes

Making a mistake is something we should welcome, rather than run from.  Mistakes prove to us that we still have learning to do, and, that after making them, we are more informed than we were prior.

Interestingly, we tend to abhor mistakes.  My four year old daughter hates making mistakes, and both my wife and I strongly encourage mistakes to be made.  However, somehow, our toddler has “learned” that a mistake is something to be feared, rather than embraced.

How do we prevent this “view” from being taken?  Is it natural, or are we somehow implanting it in even the youngest of minds?

I had a talk with my daughter on Saturday evening about this, trying to get her to see why mistakes are actually needed, if we’re ever going to learn to become better at doing things.  She wasn’t in the right frame of mind to hear it; she crossed her arms, and walked out of the room, as toddlers will. 

Clearly, we have much work to do in overcoming this misconception (and clearly, I still have a lot to learn about parenting :) )!

That said, it is a misconception that needs to change in all learners and leaders.  If we aren’t comfortable making mistakes, then very simply, we aren’t comfortable learning.

We can never progress or succeed without making mistakes and failing.  Embrace the mistakes you make, as they are the only steps that can lead to future success.