I want a do-over!

Do kids even use this expression anymore?

It certainly was a common phrase we frequently used when I was growing up. In golf, it’s commonly referred to as a mulligan. Either way, it’s a second chance. A second chance because you screwed up or were dissatisfied with your first attempt and want to improve your performance. 

Don’t you wish you could ask for a do-over in life?

I sure do. I can think of countless times in my life when I would like a second chance. Sometimes I would like to change how I responded or behaved in a particular situation and other times I’d like to change a decision I made. Of course, hindsight is 20/20.

We all have regrets but we can’t allow those regrets to continuously infiltrate our minds.

I have watched several of my friends and family members spend their lives focusing on the “what ifs” instead of accepting their past decisions and learning from them. If you look at your mistakes and failures as opportunities to learn and improve, then there is no reason to regret them.

Instead of wishing and hoping for a do-over,  you need to focus on today and how you can make better choices based on the knowledge you’ve acquired. If you reflect on some of those past missteps, you might be able to see how they played a valuable role in changing the course of your life for the better.

So does it really make sense to perseverate on what might have been?

As I get older, I have a greater appreciation for all the lessons that life has taught me and am now able to draw on those lessons more easily. If I had been perfect (who is?), life would be boring. Instead, I’m choosing to focus on all I have learned along the way, playing this game of life. Having a positive perspective instead of a negative one can change your life.

It requires a simple mind shift.

Okay, so maybe it isn’t that simple but it should be. You need to recognize when thoughts of a “do-over” are looping over and over in your brain. Once you notice, shift your focus instead to the lesson this experience has taught you. No more getting down on yourself for extended periods of time. You made a mistake, now learn from it. 

I don’t know about you but now instead of dreading my mistakes, I can’t wait to see what I’m going to learn. Okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration but consider it a challenge.

Next time you’re wishing for a do-over, send me an email ([email protected]) and let me know what you learned... 

Until next time,

Debbie