Moving Forward After a Mistake
The key is to try again without feeling bad about yourself. ADDitude readers tell how they get back up after a slip-up.
ADDitude asked: how do you move forward after you make a mistake?
I accept responsibility for all of my mistakes, and I never use my ADHD as an excuse. The key is to learn from every mistake you make. It’s been difficult to deal with ADHD as an adult. I have a good career, but bad luck seems to follow me through my life. I attribute it to bad choices. The key component is to understand that we are human, and we will make mistakes. – Mandy, Colorado
> My son and I start over when one of us messes up. That makes it easier to move on. I teach him that everyone has bad days or moments and that we can pick ourselves up. – Angie, Maryland
> I tell myself that I can only control my present choices. A mistake is in the past. It is a “miss take,” as in film making, when they do multiple takes. The next take will, I hope, be better. – An ADDitude Reader
> I say to myself that I can change things next time. If I can’t, I won’t worry about it. – Tony, Texas
> I know that I am doing my best, and I remind myself that I am still learning. – An ADDitude Reader
> Put things in perspective. Analyze others’ reaction to your slip-up. Talk about why you did it, and, if necessary, apologize. – Elizabeth, California
> I embrace my quirkiness and eccentricities, and I remind myself that it’s hard for me to do some things, while remembering that I do other things awesomely. – Dany, Vermont
> I say, “It’s OK. It’s your ADHD, not you. It will get better as you learn more.” – Linda, California
> I judge myself on how hard I tried. I say, “What’s done is done, you can’t change that. Change how you perform on your next task.” – Brad, Connecticut
