When the top golfer in the
world Rory McIlroy walked off the course in the middle of the Honda Classic not
too long ago, he caused quite the kerfluffle. While he tried to excuse his
surrender to the pain of a severe toothache, critics suspected he gave up due
to his dismal early performance. In his Boston Globe column, “Etiquette at
Work,” Peter Post makes the excellent point that McIlroy compounded the bad
example of quitting mid-tournament by trying later to excuse it, rather than
simply owning up to the unprofessional behavior (which, to his credit, McIlroy
later did). Post suggests three steps for handling situations in which we have
made a mistake, steps that can be invaluable advice to children as well, and to
which I’ve added a some thoughts of my own:
1) Admit the mistake and
apologize.
2) Take responsibility and
try to address some kind of restitution, if possible.
3) Take a moment to consider
what can be learned from the mistake.
4) Move on and commit to do
better.
Reframing mistakes as
opportunities from which to learn and grow can help kids – and adults –
internalize the power of acceptance, resilience and fortitude. As James Joyce
said, “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”
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