I’ve become a careful person. I make fewer mistakes than I used to.
I didn’t use to be so careful; in my youth, I enjoyed stepping out into the unknown and winging it. But, I learned as an ocean sailor that the old adage “the sea is very unforgiving of small mistakes,” is true and consequential.
My husband set a very good example in this regard. I think he was somewhat naturally careful, but he was also an adventurer, and learned how to be careful as a sailor, rock climber, and “ex” Marine.
But in the heat of a busy day, as we push through our tasks, it’s easy to slip up. And, just like “the sea,” digital and other electric “small” mistakes can be rather catastrophic.
It could be as simple as leaving a burner turned on while going outside to check on something, without realizing that you left the burner on. One could lose an entire house over that “small” mistake.
It could be sending a confidential email to the wrong person or the person’s former business email address (with the help of autofill), with career-breaking consequences.
Ditto for a text sent to the wrong person. The really wrong person.
It could even be that there are times you’ve left the house and wondered if you left something on or left something unlocked.
These mistakes (and concerns about mistakes) all have something in common: we made them while letting our attention lapse for just a moment or even a second.
How to stop making small but serious mistakes
What’s the answer? Watch yourself.
Imagine that you are sitting on one of your shoulders, looking at what you are doing. This becomes a consciousness that is “outside” of all those thoughts swimming around in your head.
One of the main reasons we are not sure if we turned off the stove when we left the house is because when we did turn off the stove, we were thinking about something else.
One of the main reasons we sent that confidential and important email to the wrong person is that we were focused on the email itself. We may have checked that carefully several times, but we were less focused on the actual email addresses that autofill was filling in for us.
Of course, keeping a close eye on everything we are doing seems a bit daunting at first. But it can become a habit, and that habit can remove your mistakes—and doubts about your actions.
It will give you a new sense of comfort and confidence; you won’t be so worried about what you might have forgotten or what you might do wrong next.
Anything you can do to remove stress from your life is a good thing. The more peaceful you get, the more centered you are; the more sure you are of who you are and what you’re doing and even why you’re here.
P.S. This simple method of watching yourself also applies nicely to those times when you have a decision to make. It reduces the emotional aspects of the decision and allows you to think more clearly.
P.P.S.S. Speaking of decisions, if you really can’t make a choice between a couple of options, you can use a variation on flipping a coin. (Good luck finding a coin in this day and age!) You flip the coin as usual, but the second you see the result, ask yourself how you feel. If you are pleased, it’s probably the right decision; your subconscious mind has just given you a clear answer. If you are not pleased, it’s time to rethink.