10 Of The Worst Mistakes I Ever Made And How They Shaped Me

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. Some have been small, some large, but they’ve all added up to make me who I am today. While I wish that none of them had happened, there’s no changing the past. But by talking about these mistakes with you and sharing what I learned from them, you can benefit from my experience and hopefully avoid making similar mistakes yourself. Here are 10 of the worst mistakes I ever made and how they shaped me...

Not trusting my gut

No matter how much research you do, trust your gut. More often than not, it’s right on target. If something seems off, take time to check things out before moving forward. This can save you both time and money in the long run.

Going it alone

After graduating from college, I took a job in New York City. It was all that I could find at my entry-level pay grade and it’s where everyone told me to go if you wanted to work in the industry. But, for me personally, it was a big mistake because of how many people there are on the east coast and how easily accessible everything is from there.

Trusting people who didn’t deserve it

Though it is painful to think back on, there are certain people that I trusted and allowed into my life who really didn’t deserve to be there. These situations helped me learn to build walls around myself and not just let anyone in. It also taught me how important it is to trust yourself rather than others because it is impossible for someone else to care as much about you as you do yourself.

Trying to please everyone

You can’t please everyone. You will always have someone who isn’t happy with your decisions, your attitude, or even you as a person. This is okay and no one ever said you were perfect, but there will be people that are just out to get you for no reason other than their own jealously. It can be tough to ignore them but it’s something we all must learn how to do at some point in our lives.

Turning down opportunities

When you have a dream, there will always be obstacles in your way. Many times, people give up just when they are about to achieve their goals because of bad luck or one wrong decision. However, looking back on my life, one thing is certain: all of my failures have contributed to shaping me into who I am today. If it weren’t for a few mistakes that could have destroyed me, then I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Wanting to rush success

Even if you don’t know it yet, there is a specific way to achieve success. It has more to do with the process and what you put into your actions than it does with good or bad luck. If you look back on your career, relationships, and other parts of life, there are ways that past failures have shaped your decisions moving forward—even if you didn’t realize it at first. Looking back can be just as important as looking forward when learning from your mistakes.

Allowing relationships to define me

Growing up, I was often in and out of foster homes. For most of my life, all I wanted was to be loved and accepted by someone. During those times when things were going well with a romantic partner, I would become a shadow of that person and lose myself in them. But in turn for being their little star, they would treat me badly; either putting me down or neglecting me completely.

Getting stuck in my own bubble

We live in a bubble. You and I, we’re all weirdly familiar with our own lives, aren’t we? Sure, you can see what your friends are up to on Facebook or Twitter, but it’s easy to miss things. In particular, it can be really hard to spot when other people are struggling. My family and friends have always been important to me.

Being arrogant

This is one of my biggest regrets and something that I never want to be defined by. My arrogance cost me a number of friends, relationships and opportunities. This mistake was deeply painful, but it has taught me humility, which has been extremely important for my personal growth.

Struggling with confidence

Confidence is really difficult to define, but it’s one of those things that makes you feel like you can do anything. Throughout my life, there have been a few times when I lacked confidence. As I look back at these times now, what became obvious to me was that these feelings were directly linked to my fears and insecurities. Looking back on some of my worst moments, I realize how certain situations forced me to confront challenges that tested my ability to make decisions with certainty.