Forgiving Without Forgetting: Moving On from Mistakes

Everyone knows that sinking feeling you get when you mess up at work. It’s a feeling familiar to everyone, yet we all tend to feel like we’re the only one in the company who’s ever messed up.
If you’re like me, you tend to internalize mistakes, and then ruminate on them. The only thing this does is stress me out more, and distract me from learning from the situation. Thankfully, I’ve learned to learn from these moments and forgive myself.
Jane Burnett writes about this practice in her article 3 Ways to Cut Yourself Some Slack at Work. She too realizes it can be a challenge, so she identifies a few pointers:
- Surround yourself with positivity
- Give yourself another chance after that error
- Don’t try to be perfect
Remember that the most important thing is to learn from your mistakes, not obsess over them. We’ve all made them, and all of us will make more.
Photo by Robert Wiedemann on Unsplash
Recent Posts

Creating a Winning Resume
Author: Contemporaries Team Creating a Winning Resume The Contemporaries Team recently provided job seekers with 10 Tips for Career Success in 2025. Today, we will be focusing on Tip #1 - Creating and updating a quality resume. Having reviewed thousands of resumes...

Tips for Career Success in 2025
Author: Contemporaries Team Tips for Career Success in 2025 As our Boston-based staffing firm Contemporaries Inc. approaches its 27-year anniversary next month, we have seen numerous employment trends, cycles, and behaviors come and go. However, there are universal...

Artificial Intelligence May Not Be the Best Bet When It Comes to Hiring Staff
Author: Contemporaries Team Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software programs may have its advantages when it comes to weeding out unqualified candidates, but at Contemporaries, Inc. we still believe in the human touch. While companies and some staffing firms are...

In Challenging Economic Times Having a Temp Job May be the Key to a Permanent Post
Author: Contemporaries Team When the economy is booming, unemployment is usually down. Qualified candidates can write their own ticket for a plum position in the field or company of their choice. However, when the economy takes a downward turn, securing a temporary...

A Little Bit of Kindness Goes a Long Way in The Workplace
Author: Contemporaries Team Whether you are the first or last one through the door, exhibiting kindness can go a long way in terms of garnering respect, admiration, camaraderie, and reciprocity from your peers and supervisors. Individuals who are looking to get ahead...

Communication Can Be the Key to A Successful Career
Author: Contemporaries Team Have you ever noticed how well successful people are able to convey their visions, missions, and ideas? Most times, they do it flawlessly, whether it is in an intimate business meeting or a televised discussion in front of a crowd of...

Professional Accountability: A Personal Choice and Consequences
Author: Contemporaries Team Numerous of articles have been written lately stating how a large majority of young candidates do not show up for job interviews, or even make it to the first day of work. This is not a trend which has been seen in past years, particularly...

No I in Team is True in Workplace
Author: Contemporaries Team As the late great Contemporaries, Inc. co-worker Cullen Buckland used to say, "There is no I in Team." The beauty of Cullen was that he practiced what he preached, always offering to help and pitching in whenever someone else in the office...

Starting the New Year on a Positive Note Can Make A Big Difference
Author: Contemporaries Team Annually, individuals hoping to improve their lives, often set themselves up for failure by jotting down a laundry list of new expectations through their New Year’s Resolutions. Even if they achieve some of their objectives, by not tackling...

The Joys of Having a Pet
Author: Alyssa Rebolledo When COVID-19 hit in 2020, people all around the United States felt scared, confused, and isolated. Individuals had to stay indoors all the time, missing out on many experiences such as making new friends, celebrating milestones, and other...

The Best Benefits of Working
Author: Alyssa Rebolledo Nowadays, pursuing a career can be tiresome, anxiety-inducing, and stressful. You may lose focus of the brighter side which comes from all the benefits of landing a job. They include financial freedom, a new purpose in your life, and...

Business Manners in the Workplace
Author: Alyssa Rebolledo Business Etiquette is a practical and fundamental skill everyone should use while working on a job. Exercising this practice will help advance your career and boost your likability amongst colleagues and employers alike. The best path to...

Using a College Graduate’s Habits Key to Virtual Work Success
Author: Alyssa Rebolledo Imagine, you have just been hired for your first remote job and your team leader has given you a mountain of work which you’re not sure you will ever be able to complete. The tasks seem daunting and although you feel you’ve been at it all day,...

Flexibility is the Key to Workplace Greatness
Author: Alyssa Rebolledo If you are trying to advance your career, being flexible is the key to success. This concept certainly applies when you are working in a new contract position. During this time, you’ll wear many hats and juggle ever-changing conditions that...