Making Mistakes: A Crucial Step Toward Success

We’ve been conditioned to fear the “F” word: Failure. From a young age, we’re taught that mistakes are setbacks, embarrassments, or signs that we aren’t cut out for the task.

But what if we flipped the script? What if mistakes weren’t the opposite of success, but the very engine that drives it? The truth is, mistakes are the most essential aspect of growth. The more you make, the faster you evolve.

Here is how to stop running from your blunders and start using them as a ladder to the top.

1. The Bedside Post-Mortem

The best way to benefit from a mistake is to internalize it. It’s not enough to just realize you messed up; you have to process the why and the how.

Try keeping a journal beside your bed. Before you sleep, write down the mistakes you made that day. Once it’s on paper, ask yourself one simple, transformative question: “What did I learn from this?”

Some days, the answer will hit you instantly. Other days, you might need to sit with the question for a while. That’s okay. The goal is resolution. When you truly internalize the lesson, the chances of repeating that specific error drop to near zero.

2. The Danger of Avoidance

What happens if you choose to ignore your missteps? It’s simple: The universe will keep giving you the same test until you pass it. If you refuse to learn from a mistake, you are destined to repeat it. Ignoring a failure doesn’t make it go away; it just ensures that you’ll be dealing with the same headache again next week, next month, or next year.

3. Own Your Narrative

One of the most powerful moves you can make is to admit your mistakes to others. There is an incredible psychological freedom in calling yourself out. When you own your error publicly (or even just to a peer), you strip away the power of guilt and shame. You’re no longer “the person who messed up and is hiding it”—you’re the person who is self-aware, honest, and actively growing.

If you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t playing a big enough game. Mistakes are proof that you are pushing boundaries and trying new things.

• Make the mistake.

• Analyze the lesson.

• Own the outcome.

• Grow faster.

So, stop playing it safe. Go out there and make a bunch of mistakes today. Your future successful self will thank you for it.

Christopher Lee Maher is a former Navy SEAL who endured intense amounts of physical, mental, and emotional stress as a child and during and after his military career. He has taught himself how to free his energy, body, mind and emotions from pain by developing the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of being. Christopher studied Traditional Chinese Medical Practices at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and at Yo San University. He then continued his studies at The Universal Healing Tao System. Christopher is a student of Grand Master Mantak Chia at the Universal Tao Master School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He is currently pursuing his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Traditional Chinese Medicine.