Have you ever made a mistake? I know, it is a ridiculous question. All humans make mistakes, and it is the number one thing that most of my veterinary clients worry about.
Mistakes can be quite upsetting when they are medical in nature, but the good news is that medical mistakes are rare. Business mistakes can cost money, and personal mistakes can damage relationships, but mistakes are a part of life. We cannot change and grow without accepting error.
Wednesday, I enjoyed recording a podcast with my talented friend and practice owner Dr. Susan Sayles. We planned to get together to offer a podcast about mistakes that we have made in our careers as veterinarians and leaders. We agree that there are so many lessons that we can learn from mistakes if we think about them a little differently.
Mistakes and errors are an important part of learning and growth. When I think of my many mistakes and failures, I think of my opportunity to learn from what I have done wrong. It is never easy, but most worthwhile things in life are complicated. My business would not have existed without the hard lessons of my first veterinary job, and I would not be the leader that I am without my mentor telling me that I was too impatient.
When you find yourself ruminating on an error, ask yourself some tough questions. It is not productive to beat yourself up, but reflecting on where you went wrong can help you glean the lessons offered to you. What happened and why? What would I change if this scenario presents itself again? How will I do better in the future? Opening yourself up to examining the experience does not mean berating yourself. An honest look at what you might do differently next time will allow the lessons to flow to you.
If you feel stuck in perfectionism or fear error, you will never be open to success. All success involves some level of risk, so learning to embrace a minor imperfection will open you up to more accomplishment. Make a plan ahead of time to acknowledge the risk and plan for small failures. If you are open to mistakes from the beginning, you will be more excited, more disciplined, and less fearful.
When we work to see mistakes as a part of getting things right, we can relax and enjoy our life more. We will naturally make fewer errors when we are more relaxed and not caught up in the anxiety of perfectionism. Owning our mistakes makes us more human, relatable, and stronger as leaders in our practices.
Cut yourself some slack and learn the lessons your mistakes want to teach you — you will feel better, stronger, and learn more. Also, don’t forget to listen to the podcast to learn from our mistakes.
Dr. Julie Cappel
“You don’t learn to walk by following rules; you learn by doing and by falling over.” - Richard Branson.
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