Smart, successful people are by no means immune to making mistakes; they simply have the tools in place to learn from their errors.– Travis Bradberry

Dr. Travis Bradberry believes there are 10 mistakes smart people never make twice, and he feels “emotionally intelligent people embrace mistakes for what they are—great opportunities to learn”. 

So, what’s the first step?  Admitting that you made a mistake and committing to learning from it so it’s not repeated.

Here’s what he views as the top 10 mistakes:

Believing in someone or something that’s too good to be true. Some people are so charismatic and so confident that it can be tempting to follow anything they say. Don’t be naïve!

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. If you want a different result, you must change your approach.

Failing to delay gratification. Gratification doesn’t come quickly and hard work comes long before the reward.

Operating without a budget. Budgets, both professionally and personally, establish discipline, and discipline is the foundation of quality work.

Losing sight of the big picture. Assess your daily priorities against your goals; are they aligned?

Not doing your homework. There’s no substitute for hard work and due diligence.

Trying to be someone you’re not. Happiness and success demand authenticity.

Trying to please everyone. It’s not possible to please everybody, and trying to please everyone pleases no one.

Playing the victim. To play the victim, you have to give up your power, and you can’t put a price on that.

Trying to change someone. The only way that people change is through the desire and wherewithal to change themselves.

Author Paulo Coelho simply states “When you repeat a mistake, it is not a mistake anymore: it is a decision.”

Words to live by!

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Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.– Bruce Lee