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As planners and designers, it’s safe to say that we want to give our best to our clients and peers. It’s a terrible thing to walk away from a situation feeling that we have let a client down or have not showcased our talents in the most polished and professional way.

Unfortunately, situations like these are bound to occur.  There are many twists and turns (and potholes) on the road to success. This means it’s inevitable that we will lose direction, take wrong turns, and stumble at times. There will be days when we feel we have seized every moment, those when we are just feeling “off,” and those when we give our all and still walk away knowing we could have done better.

Being that most artists are perfectionists in one way or another, missteps can often leave lasting stings. Worse, we can get so caught up in focusing on what went wrong that we forget to note the lesson: in making the mistake, we learned what not to do next time.

This valuable information can be used in two different ways:

1. We can dwell and use it as “proof” that we are not as talented or capable as we would like to be.

2. We can accept responsibility for our actions, make any amends that are necessary, and commit to doing better next time.

Over the course of my 30-year career, I have chosen to funnel the information both ways. What time and experience has taught me is that mistakes can be setbacks or they can propel you forward by helping you polish your skills and move forward a better version of yourself.

Today, dear readers, I would like to ask you to share what lessons you have learned from your mistakes and how those lessons have made you stronger, wiser and more successful.

Blessings,

Preston

(Photo courtesy of Share My Garden)