Understanding the Fear of Mistakes and Errors
Firstly, it’s essential to understand why we often fear making mistakes or errors. This is because mistakes and errors are often stigmatised and associated with failure, and we know that our thoughts and feelings are not always the truth.
In many cultures, we are taught to aim for perfection, which can lead to anxiety around failure. Although there is nothing wrong with striving to be our best, this creates a sense of pressure that can hinder decision-making and prevent us from taking risks. The good news is that we often worry about things we care about. By recognising the purpose of mistakes and the importance of reframing errors, we can focus on our processes or actions that are within our control.
The Benefits of Reframing Mistakes and Errors
Mistakes and errors can often give us valuable information about the numerous ways to improve and learn. When we take the time to reflect on our performance, we can gain insights that inform our future decisions.
This process of reflection helps us develop resilience and adaptability. Mistakes and errors can also sharpen our critical thinking and improve our problem-solving skills. When we embrace that they are a normal part of the learning experience, we are more likely to take on opportunities for growth without fearing failure.
“Setbacks are not reflections of our abilities but stepping stones toward improvement.”
Strategies for Reframing Mistakes and Errors
Have you ever wondered why some performances might feel slightly less or more pressured after a mistake or error? The weight we give to them is very significant. Reflecting on the last time you ‘messed up’, did you notice what happened to your performance afterwards?
For some athletes and performers, it allows them to relax, as the worst-case scenario we were trying to avoid has already happened. For those who feel more pressure after a mistake or error, there is often an intent to ‘make up’ for that mistake. This is very risky from a mental toughness point of view. More often than not, this will switch the internal focus away from the process to the outcome.
But what if I suggested that how we act after the mistake is far more important? It is common for performers to consider starting at 100% of the quality of their best performance. What ends up happening is that we try our best to maintain this level of performance for the whole duration of the competition or performance. This can often lead to rushing our processes or creating a sense of pressure due to the unrealistic expectations we place on our performance.
The Start From Zero Percent Approach
But what if I said the quality of our performance starts at 0%? And we work towards increasing our quality throughout our performance. At the start of all performances, we haven’t achieved anything productive or equal to what we know we are capable of. This means that any error or mistake would not detract from the quality or hard work we have already achieved. But what if I said the quality of our performance starts at 0%? And we work towards increasing our quality throughout our performance.
At the start of all performances, we haven’t achieved anything productive or equal to what we know we are capable of. This means that any error or mistake would not detract from the quality or hard work we have already achieved.
For example, say you are a tennis player, and you miss an easy cross-court winner during the first game of a match. Using the start from Zero Percent Approach, this feels normal. But when you start from A Hundred Percent not so much.
Mistakes vs Unfortunate Occurrences
Sometimes, just changing the label will get the job done. In high-performance sports, the words mistake and error are particularly confronting. Imagine yourself in a one-on-one meeting with your coach on Monday morning, and she opens with, “I want to talk about the mistake she made yesterday yesterday”.
A mistake can be referred to as an error or something we have done with a lack of responsibility or misunderstanding. Imagine you’re a basketball player going for a free throw and miss. This should be considered a mistake if the player closes their eyes and executes that skill incorrectly on purpose. But this almost never happens.
What is far more common in these situations is that the player tries to get the ball in the basket, but it doesn’t quite make it. This is not a mistake; it is an unfortunate occurrence. And sport and other performance areas are full of these.
An unfortunate occurrence refers to an undesirable situation or event that is not through lack of effort. We could consider it like this. Unless you intentionally try to do poorly, then it would be impossible for there to be any mistakes throughout your entire performance. But there will always be a bunch of unfortunate occurrences.
Conclusion
Reframing mistakes is a powerful mindset shift that can lead to personal and professional growth. By viewing errors as opportunities rather than failures, we open ourselves to a world of possibilities. So the next time you become fixated on a mistake, remember this. Was it really a mistake (lacking effort), or was it actually an unfortunate occurrence? And whatever it turns out to be, both are opportunities for improvement!
As always, if you need a hand, give us a shout.
The article insightfully highlights how the pursuit of perfection can cause anxiety and hinder decision-making. I would like to elaborate on the cultural aspect: not all cultures view failure as failure. In some cultures, mistakes and failures are viewed as opportunities to grow and learn, rather than as shortcomings. In Japan, for example, the concept of “kaizen” emphasizes continuous improvement, in which mistakes are seen as steps toward mastery. Similarly, in some indigenous cultures, the emphasis is on collective learning and resilience, rather than individual success or failure. Therefore, I would like to draw attention to the negative influence of culture, which can cause many athletes like more than a sense of not being enough. This pressure has led to the fact that currently in the world many children’s leagues (Poland and Canada) do not count points, so that it is not clear who is a winner and who is a loser. I admire this “from 0%” strategy, and think that if most people could follow it, the sense of failure might not exist at all. By adopting these perspectives, athletes can view mistakes as part of the process, reducing pressure and encouraging risk-taking, which is crucial for development and performance. Calling unfortunate occurrence instead of mistake is brilliant.