Mistakes in sports and other performance endeavors are inevitable.

Responding to mistakes with psychological flexibility allows performers to learn from them and keep on going.

Prepare yourself to be ready for mistakes; don't worry about them happening.

“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way."

Handy wisdom from Scottish American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. We'll rephrase as "the successful person will profit from their mistakes and try again in a different way."

Mistakes happen and are a normal and inevitable part of sports and life. We aren't perfect and never will be, as explored here: Seek Daily Improvement Instead of Perfect Performance. Baseball hitters are going to strike out multiple times, musicians are going to strike the wrong note, and basketball players are going to miss free throws. It's all part of the performance experience.

It’s how we respond to those miscues that will either result in more screw-ups or to profitability. Workable responding can pivot us from disappointment, frustration, and anger often experienced with mistakes to effective adjustments and improved performance.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a popular approach of sports psychology practitioners around the world, teaches that when a mistake happens, it’s an opportunity to figure out what went wrong, adjust, and keep going. We must move on from mistakes—and the pesky, distracting thoughts and emotions that tag along with them—to perform........

© Psychology Today