Are you obsessing on a mistake you made in the office? Lots of people do this, constantly running the scenarios of the disastrous day or redemptive rewrites of it through their minds. But allowing yourself to partici¬pate in this is a waste of energy (not to mention, cruel and unusual punishment for yourself.)

If you catch yourself running these movies in your mind, you might tell yourself to get a grip and stop—but it’s not likely to work. Instead, be gentle and kind, like you would to a sensitive child who’s made a mistake. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish by mentally harassing yourself? The answer to the question will probably make you stop.

After all, if you reflect on the wise words of James Joyce, you might find that focusing on the mistake in this way is keeping your from what might be truly advantageous from the experience.

Here are Joyce’s words: “A man’s errors are his por¬tals of discovery.”

 

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