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Oops.

Have you ever made a mistake? I'm not talking about something small one like a typoe but a big honkin' mistake? Of course you have - we all have. Mistakes are a natural part of the human experience and the learning process. Of course, a recent experience reminded me that some mistakes are bigger than others.

Last weekend, I dropped by the mall and headed into Sears. I had my shopping list in hand: a garden sprayer, a mower blade, a ping pong net, and a circuit tester. Sears is great - I love that you can get all of that stuff in one place.

"Excuse me, where can I find a bunch of random crap?"
"Aisle three, sir."

I finished up my shopping, paid for my purchases, and headed toward the automatic doors. On my way out to the parking lot, I saw something I don't see very often. A woman was being led to a nearby police car. She was handcuffed and staring down at her feet as the officer opened the rear door of the cruiser. My best guess is that there was a failed shoplifting attempt, but I didn't stop to pry. Whatever the offense, she made a poor decision and now she had to face the music.

To put it simply, she screwed up big time.

In watching the scene, I suppose I could feign a holier-than-thou attitude. As much as I love Sears, I can't say that I've ever stuffed a leaf blower down my pants. (At least not since college.) But that doesn't mean that I haven't made my fair share of mistakes. Some have been bigger than others. Many have resulted from my inexperience and the exuberance of youth. Some were the result of laziness or poor judgment. One landed me in the ER and almost cost me everything.

We're going to make mistakes from time to time. That's the reality. So what should we do after the deal goes down? I recommend that we take a tip from the fire marshal and stop, drop, and roll.

• Stop obsessing over the mistake. I know it can be hard to move on, but you've got to let go. Even if a mistake has a lasting effect on your present circumstances, you can still work towards a better tomorrow. Take in the lesson, but be sure to remember that your screw up is in the past while you live in the present.
• Drop the pity party. Even if everyone around you knows about your problem, stay focused on bouncing back. If a friend or family member seems hesitant to allow you to forget the mistake, that's a natural response. But, if it goes on too long you may have to recover without him or her. (Sorry.)
• Roll with the punches. It may take a bit of time to come back from a big mistake. Finding a new job after being fired, completing community service, or even just getting over a self-imposed crisis of self-confidence all require vigilance and determination. In any situation, you can recover and be better than ever. It's up to you.

Being successful doesn't mean being perfect. In many cases, being successful requires just the opposite - failure and mistakes are a natural part of the achievement process. It's never fun to screw up, but you can always respond in a positive way.

No one could convince me that our shoplifting friend can't bounce back from her brush with the law. Just look at Winona Ryder. (Oh wait. Bad example.) Our shoplifter screwed up. Hey, it happens. If she treats the incident as a learning lesson and resolves to find more constructive outlets for her motivation and effort, she can put her mistake behind her. She - like you - can go on to great things in life.

You'll make mistakes, that's a given. When you do, will you be able to respond in a constructive way?

Make no mistake - that part's up to you.

Coaching Quickie: Oops.

Check back next week for results!

Last Week's Results

Coaching Quickie: Movin' On Up
How would you rate your view of your personal achievements?

(20%) 4 - I celebrate my achievements and then set my sights higher for next time.
(60%) 3 - I often underplay my achievements to myself and others.
(10%) 2 - Anything I achieve is mostly a matter of luck and not planning/execution.
(10%) 1 - Achievements? What achievements?