Mistakes are beautiful things. They not only teach you what not to do, they also help point you in the right direction. Mistakes are so critical to your success that they should be documented and studied.
There’s a tool I use to do just that. I call it my Mistake Binder. The Mistake Binder is a running list of every mistake I’ve made since I started it back in 2013. Each mistake is documented on one page. You want to document four things on that one page:
- WHAT went wrong.
- WHY did it go wrong.
- HOW to avoid repeating it in the future.
- LESSON you learned.
The goal is to fill your Mistake Binder with page after page of mistakes that you’ve made. Every other week spend a few minutes reviewing your Mistake Binder. This helps make the learning stick and will also keep the mistakes in your working memory, acting like a radar system, alerting you when you are about to repeat a mistake. The Mistake Binder will take the taboo out of making mistakes and will change your negative perception regarding mistakes. You’ll soon find yourself embracing mistakes and the lessons they teach.
About Thomas C. Corley
Sir it’s a fantastic way to remember where you went wrong and a good way to correct yourself and prevent repeating the mistake again.