There is in fact a right time to deal with mistakes
One of the most valuable things you can learn to do is deal with mistakes at the right time.
When I was working in the NBA, a common problem was being distracted by something simple - a turnover, missed shot, or the occasional embarrassing play.
The same things happen with executives I serve. They blow up in a meeting, say the wrong thing to a client, or make an error on a product release and end up ruminating for days on end about it.
These are prime examples of dealing with mistakes at the wrong time.
In sports, the right time to deal with mistakes is much clearer. During the game, you should ignore them (generally). You want to adjust your play, but not focus on fixing them.
The time to fix mistakes is in film the next day.
The time to analyze and really dissect what went on has to be different from when the action is at its peak. In the heat of the game, you can't extract all the information you need from the mistake. You're too close to it and don't have the proper time to really reflect, consolidate your learning, and move on.
If you choose to do it during the game, you're choosing distraction.
For the executive or leader, the same principle applies. If you say the wrong thing in a meeting, there's time to try and correct it - but you need to stay present to do that. Beating yourself up in the moment, second-guessing your impact, or getting inside your head about the failure won't help you.
You want to give yourself permission to address the issues when you can do it justice and actually learn. Otherwise, leave it be and stay focused on performance.
You may have seen on social media… but I recently launched a community for sport psychology professionals. It’s designed to help you level up your business and your skills as a professional, while getting some support and connection to other professionals going through the same thing.
If that’s you, and you’d be interested in joining - reply to this email.