No matter how much we all want to be perfect all the time, there is no getting away from the fact that everybody makes lots of poor decisions in their lives! So the question is how to accept that you have made a poor decision and move on.
Messing up and making bad decisions is part of being human, and the true test of character isn’t in the avoiding of making mistakes, but in the way that we choose to deal with the decisions that we have made. There are good ways to deal with bad decisions, but unfortunately, there are probably more bad ways when you really think about it! In an attempt to avoid making some of the mistakes that are so common, here's how to accept that you have made a poor decision and move on.
Snapshot Survey
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:
1. Evaluate
Instead of flying off the handle into rage or despair, take a second to take a good, long look at the decision that you have made. Think about why you made that choice in the first place, and why you are now coming to realise that it was the wrong thing to do. Things can’t be fixed overnight, but trying to understand exactly why you have put yourself in this particular situation is the first step in being able to let it go, move on, and know how to not make the same mistake again. Analyzing the situation is one of my best bits of advice for how to accept that you have made a poor decision and move on.
2. Gain Perspective
It’s no surprise that humans tend to be a tad dramatic, especially when it comes their own personal lives and potentially bad decisions. If you feel yourself getting way too worked up over a wrong choice, try to remove your mind from the situation and think about the bigger picture. It’s very unlikely that the bad decision you made is going to affect your life in the long term, and there are very few things that are irreversible!
Frequently asked questions
3. Change Your Thinking
The only way you can truly learn and move on from a bad decision is to make sure that you learn from your mistake and subsequently change your way of thinking to ensure that the same mistake is never made again. Don’t focus on the bad, focus on what you can do and what you can change in order to make sure that this was a learning experience, rather than a repetitive hiccup.
4. Change Your Behaviour
If you keep finding yourself making bad decisions, then something about your life and your behaviour definitely needs to change. If you are constantly being tempted to repeat the same bad choice, for example, hooking up with that ex that is no good for you, then you need to alter your behaviour and commit to not seeing him again. If he is completely out of your life, then there is no risk of falling back into bed with him!
5. Let It Go
This is the hardest to put in practise, but at the end of the day you really just need to learn how to let things go. Dwelling on past mistakes is not a healthy or productive way to live because it stops you from looking forward to the future. You will always be stuck in that mindset of being a failure, and that will be no good for your prospects!
