Creative Streams

                                     The Dog Ate My Homework

Stop Making Excuses and Take Responsibility

By Anne Schwab

Making a mistake feel terrible. Taking the blame, tragic. A root canal is less painful! Sometimes it seems that a lame excuse—the dog did it—is easier than taking personal responsibility. But no one is perfect; we all make mistakes. Often, however, we do not have the tools at our fingertips to correct a mistake quickly and effectively. Here are a few tips.

Sept 1—No More Excuses

Before you can correct a problem, you must take responsibility for it. Even though you feel uncomfortable, stand up, take a deep breath and admit that you made a mistake.

Sept 2—E=MC³

Oops. Quickly analyze your mistake. Then, perhaps talk with friends, co-workers and managers to help you arrive at a solution. Once you discover the answer, you can rectify the mistake.

Step 3—And Away We Go

Now it is time to take action. Put the solution into effect and watch the mistake melt away.

Step 4—Back to School

Take time to reflect. What did you learn from this experience? And how would you avoid making the same mistake again? If you feel brave, share your experience so other may learn.

Step 5—The Work Keeps Turning

Move on. Do not let yourself get hung up on one mistake. Feel proud you handled the situation and solved the problem. It is over. Life goes on.

Thomas Edison failed in over 2000 experiments to create the light bulb. When asked about his numerous mistakes, he replied that he had not made any mistakes. “I just discovered 2000 ways not to make a light bulb!