Let's talk about GPS.

Have you ever been driving with your GPS, only to discover that road construction prevents you from going straight? Instead, you have to turn right. What happens next?

Does your GPS start yelling at you?

"Hey, stupid! I told you to go straight! Why did you turn right? You're such a loser! I can't believe you don't know your right from your left. What's wrong with you?"

Of course not.

What does it say?

It simply says, "Recalculating."

With that calm, pleasant voice, it accepts the new reality and immediately begins finding the next best route to get you to your destination.

Maybe that's one of the reasons so many people enjoy using AI. AI doesn't judge. It simply recalculates. "Oh, you've changed your mind? No problem. Let's recalculate and figure out the next step."

Wouldn't it be nice if we treated ourselves the same way?

Instead, when we make a mistake, our internal dialogue often sounds very different.

"I'm such a loser."

"I should have seen that coming."

"Everyone is going to question my judgment."

"I let the entire team down."

"If I make one more mistake, my credibility is gone."

"They're going to regret promoting me."

"I'm the boss. I'm supposed to have all the answers."

Sound familiar?

Life moves fast. We're juggling multiple priorities, making hundreds of decisions, and trying to keep everything moving forward. Naturally, mistakes happen.

The problem isn't the mistake.

The problem is the story we tell ourselves afterward.

Instead of going down the road of self-criticism, why not simply... recalculate?

"Okay, I made a mistake. I dropped the ball. It happened."

Then move forward.

This is also a perfect opportunity to use the Two-Step Technique.

First, acknowledge the past:

"Yes, I made the wrong call."

Then follow it with a progressive statement:

"Now I'm willing to learn how to do it differently."

Or:

"Now I'm in the process of checking all my facts before I hit Send."

Maybe you completely embarrassed yourself in a meeting because you didn't know the answer and felt unprepared.

Instead of attacking yourself, tell yourself:

"Now I'm willing to learn how to prepare more thoroughly before my next meeting."

Or perhaps remind yourself:

"Things are moving quickly. It's normal to overlook something occasionally. That doesn't make me a loser."

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is progress.

Maybe the decision you made wasn't 100% correct, but at least you made one. You kept things moving. You can always adjust the course afterward.

Done is often better than perfect.

If you wait until every decision is perfect, you'll never move forward.

So even if you miss something...

Even if you overlook a small detail...

Even if you feel like everyone else in the room is smarter than you...

Even if you start believing you only got lucky to earn your position...

Stop.

That's just your inner critic talking.

Instead, remind yourself:

"I made the best decision I could with the information I had. Now I'm recalculating."

Imagine hearing that calm GPS voice in your mind every time you make a mistake:

"Recalculating."

Because that's really all you need to do.

Not judge yourself.

Not beat yourself up.

Just recalculate... and continue toward your destination.

Check out some of my previous blog posts...