"Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time." - George Bernard Shaw

"Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Everyone makes mistakes. Making mistakes is one of the main ways we all learn and grow. We should expect to make mistakes because mistakes are an inescapable part of life. Every new decision we make is independent of other decisions we’ve already made, which is key to helping us avoid making a bad situation or predicament worse by doubling down and making yet another bad decision. This is easier said than done because people are emotional creatures and we often over react or act impulsively when we’re faced with negative events or situations.

Our emotions are very predictable drivers of our decision making. When faced with the negative emotions we often feel when we realize we’ve made a bad decision, people often shut down, give up and let apathy run our lives on autopilot by declaring “what difference will it make now?” This kind of emotionally driven capitulation is the worst way to deal with a bad situation. A better reaction is to learn from our bad decisions and mistakes rather than exacerbating them. Nobody is perfect. The best outcomes in the long run are not always initially obvious. Learn to laugh at yourself and move on from a bad decision and try to avoid it the next time around rather than following it up with another bad decision. Onward and upward.