“I stopped dwelling on my mistakes.”
The other night, I was watching a major league baseball player being interviewed on television after he had pitched a particularly good game. Early in his career, he had not pitched well and now he is pitching very well. When the interviewer asked him what it was that caused the change in his performance, he said, “I stopped dwelling on my mistakes.” He explained that early in his career, he thought about his mistakes a great deal. This caused him to worry about making future mistakes which made him less aggressive as a pitcher. As a result, his performance suffered. He went on to say, “Mistakes are what they are; you can’t go back and change them. So, learn from them and then forget about them and move on.”
Ross, great reminder. It’s too easy to get wrapped around the axle thinking about what you should have done. Of course it’s good to examine mistakes and think about what you can do better next time, just begin focusing on next time quickly. Staying focused on the future and new opportunities takes constant vigilance.
Hi Gary,
Thank you so much for your comments. You are right on the money. Hope all is well. Please say hello to Pam for me. All the best, Ross
Now that is powerful. Thanks! Mary Miller
Thanks so much for your kind comment. You made my day! All the best, Ross
Ross: Great comment about not dwelling on the past. I’ve had an attitude for many years to “go for it or for go it”. Thanks;
Dear Major,
Thank you so much for your comment. I like the phrase, “Go for it or for go it.” I hope all is well. Ross
Those are very profound words of wisdom!
As I was reading your column, I thought of my struggle with golf. I seem to be stuck on being a perpetual beginner. The other day I told Phil that whenever I’m preparing to hit a ball, fear grips my mind. I believe that I need an attitude adjustment and this may be just the thing I need (plus a couple of golf lessons).
Dear Mary,
Thank you so much for your comment. I can appreciate where you’re coming from regarding golf. You can imagine how hard it is for a major league pitcher to get his confidence back after he’s had a bad game. Golf lessons will definitely build your confidence as will lots of practice. In addition, golfing with people who are better golfers than you are will also help elevate your game. A golf pro once told me that the reason many golfers never get better is they regularly golf with people who are at the same level as they are. Hence, there is no incentive to get better and no one to learn from.
On another note, will miss you tomorrow. All the best, Ross