Embracing Mistakes: Your Path to Growth and Confidence

Fear of making mistakes at work is one of the biggest barriers to putting yourself out there and reaching your potential. This paralysing worry affects creatives at every level, from junior team members convinced they'll bring down the company to seasoned professionals still battling perfectionism.

This question was answered by Tara Hurster – Psychologist and Founder of The TARA Clinic – who specialises in helping successful people overcome mental health challenges, alongside Jasmin Bedir – CEO of Innocean Australia – who brings real-world leadership experience, and Andy Wright – Founder of Never Not Creative – who hosts these conversations to support the creative community.

Understanding Perfectionism's Grip

Perfectionism often stems from having unrealistically high expectations of ourselves. As Tara explains, "We are the biggest critic that we have in our space." This internal pressure creates a cycle where we're so afraid of failing that we avoid taking risks or putting our work out there entirely.

The reality is that mistakes are essential for learning. Tara uses the analogy of a child learning to walk: "They're wobble, wobble, wobble, wobble, fall down. And then what happens to the people around them? They're like, yay, keep going up you get come on, you've got this." The child gets encouragement, tries again, and eventually runs around confidently.

The Junior vs Senior Perspective

Andy highlights how this fear often intensifies early in your career: "The more junior you are, the more you think, Oh my God, if I don't get this right, I might bring down this company." However, experience teaches you which mistakes you can afford to make and that "very rarely are you going to cause any major upsets."

For senior professionals, Jasmin suggests using mistakes as learning opportunities: "If you do it on a more senior level, maybe it's because you haven't been listening to others. So then I question my leadership style and I wonder whether I empower everyone to give me their point of view."

The Power of Owning Your Mistakes

The key to reducing fear around mistakes is being prepared to own them completely. As Jasmin puts it: "People will forgive you if you just say, Hey, I'm really sorry, I fucked this up."

Andy shares a powerful example of an employee who came to him after making a mistake: "They said, look, here's what I did. But also, here's what I'm going to do to fix it." This approach of ownership plus solution impressed him far more than if they'd tried to hide the error.

The recovery process is crucial. When you make a mistake, acknowledge it immediately, apologise sincerely, and present your plan to fix it. This transparency builds trust rather than destroying it.

Recognising Anxiety's Role

Sometimes the fear of making mistakes goes beyond normal workplace concerns. Jasmin notes that "catastrophising, like going into like spirals of what could go wrong is a sign of anxiety." If you find yourself constantly imagining worst-case scenarios, it might be worth addressing the underlying anxiety rather than just the work fears.

Creating a Supportive Environment

Your workplace environment plays a crucial role in how comfortable you feel making mistakes. Tara suggests evaluating whether your environment supports learning from failures: "If you feel that your environment is there to support you in the face planting... then make the mistakes, because that's where the learning comes into it."

If your workplace punishes honest mistakes rather than supporting growth, it might not be the right environment for you to thrive.

How NNC Circles Can Help

Never Not Creative's Circles programme creates safe, confidential spaces where creatives can share their fears and experiences around workplace challenges like mistake anxiety. These peer support groups of 8-10 people meet monthly to discuss mental health topics, share stories, and develop practical strategies for managing work-related stress.

The programme is particularly valuable for creatives dealing with perfectionism and fear of failure, as you'll connect with others facing similar challenges. Learn more about NNC Circles and how to join.

When to Seek Professional Help

If your fear of making mistakes is severely impacting your ability to work or causing significant distress, it may be time to seek professional support. Persistent anxiety, catastrophic thinking, or avoidance behaviours that interfere with your daily life are signs that professional help could be beneficial.

Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Mental health professionals can provide strategies specifically tailored to your situation and help you build confidence in your abilities. Find professional help resources here.

Moving Forward with Confidence

Remember that everyone makes mistakes – it's part of being human and growing professionally. The goal isn't to never make mistakes, but to create an environment where you can learn from them safely. Focus on building your recovery skills, practising ownership, and surrounding yourself with supportive people who celebrate growth over perfection.

Your mistakes don't define you; how you handle them does. Each time you own a mistake and learn from it, you're building the confidence to take bigger risks and create better work.