How to Learn From Mistakes and Never Repeat Them

Okay, so I’m sitting here in my cramped Tacoma apartment, rain hammering the window like it’s tryna start a fight, and I’m thinking about how to learn from mistakes without, like, yeeting myself into a shame spiral. I’ve made some stupid calls, y’all—think forgetting to pay my internet bill because I was too busy doomscrolling X or that time I tried to “fix” my laptop with a YouTube tutorial and ended up with a $200 repair bill. Mistakes are like that one annoying neighbor who keeps borrowing your stuff and never returns it. Here’s my hot mess of a take on how to grow from screw-ups, straight from the chaos of my life in Washington state, typos and all.

Why Mistakes Hit Like a Truck

Mistakes? They suck. Like, last week, I was hustling to a meeting at this cute Tacoma café—because, duh, coffee is my blood type—and I straight-up dropped my phone in a puddle. Screen cracked, my pride cracked harder. The cold, wet squish of my sneakers and that faint sewer smell from the street? Yeah, that’s the sensory hell of screwing up. It wasn’t just about the phone; it was me realizing I’m always rushing, always dropping the ball, and not learning from mistakes like I should. Mistakes feel personal, like the universe is holding up a mirror and going, “Yo, get it together.”

My Epic Fails and What They (Kinda) Taught Me

Alright, let’s rip the Band-Aid off. I’ve got a rap sheet of screw-ups that’d make you cringe. Here’s a few, because spilling my guts might help you learn from mistakes too:

• The Work Email Disaster: Last year, I sent a snarky email about a coworker to—yep, you guessed it—that coworker. Meant to hit “forward,” hit “reply.” My face was lava-red, and I hid in my car for, like, an hour. Lesson? Triple-check emails. Now I read everything twice before sending, though I still sweat a little every time.
• The Friendship Fumble: I got into a dumb fight with my bestie over who was paying for tacos (I know, I’m an idiot). I didn’t talk to her for weeks, thinking I was right. Spoiler: I wasn’t. I had to swallow my pride, send a rambly apology text, and now we check in weekly. Growing from errors means eating crow sometimes.
• The Budget Blunder: I blew $300 on a pair of sneakers I didn’t need because they were “limited edition.” My bank account sent me hate mail. Now I’ve got a budgeting app, but I still side-eye cute shoes, so, like, progress is shaky.

These moments were straight-up embarrassing, but they’re how I started to learn from mistakes. My apartment’s still a mess—there’s a pizza box under my couch right now—but reflecting on this stuff keeps me from repeating the same dumb moves.

How I’m (Barely) Learning From Mistakes

So, how do you actually learn from mistakes without wanting to crawl under a rock? Here’s what I’ve pieced together, sitting here with my chipped mug and the faint hum of my neighbor’s TV through the wall:

1. Own It, Like, Yesterday: Pretending you didn’t mess up is like pretending you didn’t just trip in public—everyone saw. When I dropped my phone, I could’ve blamed the rain, but I admitted I was distracted. Owning it helped me slow down next time.
2. Scribble It Down: I jot my screw-ups in a notebook—yes, the crumpled one in the featured image. It’s a mess, with coffee stains and doodles, but it shows me patterns. Like, I keep overcommitting and stressing myself out. Writing it down is like, “Yo, chill.”
3. Vent to Someone: After the email fiasco, I called my brother, who laughed his ass off but then helped me draft better emails. Find a friend who’ll roast you but also lift you up.
4. Make a Shaky Plan: Post-sneaker disaster, I set up auto-saves to my savings account. It’s not perfect—I still impulse-buy snacks—but it’s something.

Why I’m Scared of Repeating Mistakes

Here’s where I get real: I’m low-key terrified of looping the same mistakes like a bad playlist. Last month, I almost forgot my mom’s birthday—again—because I was “too busy” scrolling X and arguing with strangers about pizza toppings (why am I like this?). The guilt hit like a brick, same as last year. To avoid repeating mistakes, I’m trying to be better. I set phone reminders now, and yeah, my calendar’s a hot mess, but it’s progress. The fear of screwing up again pushes me to grow from screw-ups, even if I’m stumbling through it.

Check out this piece from Harvard Business Review for some legit tips on turning failures into wins. It’s helped me more than I’ll admit.

Mistakes Are My Messy Teachers

Look, learning from mistakes ain’t a clean process. It’s like trying to cook in my tiny kitchen—spills, smoke alarms, and all. I’m still figuring it out, surrounded by my cluttered desk, that neon green pen cap mocking me, and the faint smell of burnt toast from this morning. But every time I learn from mistakes, I feel a bit less like a trainwreck, a bit more like I’ve got this.