Never a mistake, always a lesson (how to deal when you f’ed up bigtime).

You messed up. Maybe it was something small like forgetting to attach a document to an email, or something really big that makes you look incompetent...or worse, seem like a huge inconsiderate jerk. We have all done it at one time or another, so how do you handle it and move on with some grace?

1. Own it--The first step is honesty. You don't need to overexplain or verbally abuse yourself, but honesty is the best policy. A simple acknowledgement and sincere apology will go a long way to repairing the damage. Keep it simple, fix it and move on.

2. Keep it in perspective--Unless you're a brain surgeon, a pilot or a sniper, most mistakes are correctable. You may be embarassed, but no one is mortally wounded here. It's all going to be ok, we promise.

3. Evaluate your process--What can you do to make sure this doesn't happen again? Do your processes need to be changed? Maybe you just need to take a break to recharge so you aren't stressed and rushing.

4. Feel the feeling--You're allowed to feel bad, but only for a few minutes. Don't wallow in it. Perseverating on an honest mistake is a sure-fire way to erode your self confidence which will only lead to more problems.

When I was a kid and messed up, my Dad would say to me, "what did you learn?" Remember that you can fail dramatically and go on to do huge, impressive and amazing things! The most important thing is that you learned something. What is a mistake that you made that you thought you'd never come back from? What lessons did you learn, and how did you use that to succeed? Let us know in the comments.