The quickest way to learn from mistakes and move forward after adversity is to ask yourself, “What did I learn?”
One simple question can take you from overthinking a situation, beating yourself up, and making the mistakes again to instead, learning, moving on quickly and productively.
Oftentimes, we meet adversity in our life and we try our best to move forward. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it takes a while. One day, if we’re lucky, hindsight teaches us the lesson we were meant to learn. Why not skip the long process and wait for hindsight to kick in and instead try to learn immediately?
I’d say it’s pretty easy to realize when we face adversity or make a mistake. Adversity leaves us feeling stressed, anxious, and with a fast beating heart. Making a mistake presents a gut wrenching feeling and questions like “Why did I do that??” So when you experience these sensations, don’t simply move on and try to forget, learn something.
When you inevitably face life’s challenges, ask yourself soon afterwards “What did I learn?” Doing so can train your brain to view the event in a more positive and productive way. Before a negative feedback loop begins, let your brain mull on lessons learned. Give your mind closure on the event by viewing it through this self-improvement lens.
I think the brain holds on to past memories of failures and adversity because we’re not giving it the time to reflect on it. I believe the brain loves closure, it cannot simply move on and forget because doing so would prevent adaptation – a fundamental need for growth and evolution.
Give your brain the answers it needs and help your thoughts rest assured knowing you learned something beneficial. This event doesn’t have to detract you from your goals, it doesn’t have to destroy your mindset and progress. Face it, respond how you feel is best in that moment, then reflect after the fact by asking yourself “What did I learn?”
September 14, 2022
