We’ve all been there—staring at our screen, replaying a mistake we made at work, feeling that pit in our stomach. It happens to the best of us. Just recently, I found myself in this exact situation.
My Work Mistake
I had an important meeting with my big boss, and I knew I needed to be concise. My leader had even advised me to focus on just one row of a particular slide, but for some reason—maybe pride in my work, maybe just being half-asleep on a Monday morning—I explained all six rows in detail.
By the time my big boss announced, “I have a hard stop in 10 minutes,” I realized my mistake. I had spent too much time on the details and didn’t get to the real meat of my presentation—the actual results I had delivered. In the end, he reiterated feedback he had already given me a month ago, completely missing the progress I had made. After the meeting, I sent a follow-up email highlighting the results I wasn’t able to present. Was that enough? I don’t know. But I do know that I didn’t let this moment define me.
5 Tips on How to Recover Quickly from a Work Mistake
1. Self-Awareness: Catch Yourself in the Spiral
I noticed right away that my brain wanted to replay the meeting over and over. But this time, I was deliberate in watching myself do it. Each time I started spiraling, I reminded myself that overthinking wasn’t going to change what happened. The simple act of noticing the habit helped me break the cycle sooner.
2. Accept That You’re Human
Expecting myself to be perfect is not only unrealistic—it’s actually a bit prideful. Perfection is an illusion, and mistakes are part of growth. By reminding myself that being human means sometimes having off days, I gave myself the grace to move on.
3. Let Go of What You Can’t Control
Even if I had nailed the timing, it wasn’t clear my big boss was truly listening to me. Sometimes, no matter how well we prepare, the outcome won’t change because other people come into a conversation with their own agendas. Realizing that some things are simply out of my hands was incredibly freeing.
4. Realize Beating Yourself Up is a Useless Habit
Thinking about my mistake four or five times was enough—I didn’t need to keep reliving it. Beating myself up wouldn’t change the past or improve my performance in the future. The faster I let go, the more energy I had for what really mattered.
5. Remember: Life is Bigger Than Work
At the end of the day, my career is important, but it’s not everything. This one meeting didn’t define my worth or my future. Keeping perspective on what truly matters—family, health, personal growth—helped me move on quickly.
Final Thoughts: How to Move Forward After a Work Mistake
Mistakes at work are inevitable. But dwelling on them for too long? That’s a choice. The next time you find yourself replaying a moment that didn’t go as planned, try this:
- Acknowledge the mistake and take any necessary corrective action (a follow-up email, a quick check-in, etc.).
- Be kind to yourself. Would you beat up a friend for making the same mistake? Probably not. Treat yourself with the same grace.
- Focus on the future. There are so many more important moments ahead—why waste time fixating on this one?
Work is just one part of our lives, and no single moment will make or break us. The faster we learn to shake off small setbacks, the more energy we’ll have to put toward future success. And who knows? That “mistake” might not have mattered as much as we think.
It’s okay to love the imperfect you. I am learning how to do it and so can you.
Your comments: How do you get over your mistakes? I look forward to your comments
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Lei
[…] Our meeting started off casually. Richard asked how my work was going, and I took a few minutes to outline my progress and the value I was contributing. I wanted to ensure he saw the impact of my work, especially since last time we spoke I didn’t get a chance to share it fully. […]