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Writer's pictureNanette Potgieter

Mistakes


Sound like a dirty word?

What if it didn’t?

What if it actually sounded like process and movement and possibility? Almost like music to your ears?

You know, so you didn’t try so hard to avoid them, the mistakes…

In a client session recently, the client was trying to come up with THE perfect plan to ENSURE mistakes were ABSOLUTELY avoided in pursuit of this new adventure. I could totally relate. For so long, I was like Beth in the Queen’s Gambit, only instead of playing out chess moves in my head, I played out life moves-conversations, presentations, analyses-trying to figure out which was the best way to proceed…basically to avoid making a mistake.

Fortunately, my client gets to learn from my experience. I explained that my life and business had completely changed when I started living the story that mistakes are “just” steps along the way to success. Can you imagine their reaction to that share?

So, I asked them several questions: “What are you telling yourself mistakes mean?” “Can you tell me of a time when you succeeded without any mistakes?” “Can you remember when a success seemed directly related to an earlier ‘mistake’?”

Like most amazing humans, my client had to dig deep to entertain my questions and find answers. Our survival mechanisms (how we show up when afraid) are so good at hiding helpful information when we could use it!

The session ended with the client taking on practices that would help reinforce & highlight how mistakes can/are steps on our way to where we want to go.

Have you been where my client & I have both been, putting off doing something until you “know” you won’t make any “mistakes”? Would you like to view “mistakes” differently? Maybe you’ve even been trying to shift your mindset on your own? (HUGE KUDOS to you!)

If you are ready to build momentum and view “mistakes” as assets, you are in luck! I happen to specialize in helping people shift their mindset around “mistakes”, to start relating to them as growth and really fun music. Just send me a quick DM about a 1:1 coaching session so we can get you off and running towards, not away from, those “mistakes”.

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