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No one likes to make mistakes on the job, and we all make them. It’s embarrassing and uncomfortable. But it turns out that mistakes can be extremely helpful if you have a “growth mind-set”. If you do, you won’t mind making mistakes as long as you can learn from them.

Stanford psychologist Carol Dwek, described two types of mind-sets. People with a “fixed mind-set” believe their abilities are unchangeable. They don’t want to be in situations where they might fail. People with a “growth mind-set” accept challenges and believe they’ll learn something, even if they fail. They want feedback (what our parents called “constructive criticism”) and are willing to be corrected. Making a mistake does not scare them; it makes them smarter.

Contrary to what you might think, you want to make mistakes on the job. Your boss knows you’ll make them and just wants you to learn from them (and, hopefully, not repeat them!). Your co-workers aren’t paying much attention to your life anyway. They are too interested in their own.

So don’t be afraid to stretch yourself on the job. Do your best work and, when you make a mistake, pay attention to the person giving you constructive criticism. Welcome the feedback and learn from it.

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