Celebrating Mistakes
Open New Neural Pathways for Learning
Learning Spanish these past few years has been a test in letting go of control and the fear of making mistakes. Shifting my perspective from mistakes being a bad thing, to celebrating my mistakes because it’s a sign of having the courage to try.
A few weeks ago, I had an incredible breakthrough experience in my Spanish-speaking journey!
We were having our friends over for a taco night, and I wanted to get some fresh fish from la pescadería for some beer-battered fish tacos en el supermercado. Since we moved to Spain, I have been intimidated by the fish counter in the supermarket. There are so many types of fish, and I really have no idea how to clean and prepare them.
The idea of cutting off the head while its eyeballs are looking at me, it’s just not something I’m fond of. That process freaks me out, whether it be in Spain or in the States. But at least in the States, I could tell them what I was looking for. Here, I get stage fright when they call my number and I have to tell them what I want.
Before my adventure at the store that day, I wanted to dedicate some time to draw, allowing my heart to guide me and practicing a few techniques.
I sketched and watched videos on perspective, then I began to practice drawing without erasing. The practice of letting go of my old habits of erasing or doing it how I think it should be was, in itself, liberating. I let go in my drawing, and I could see improvement happening in the motion of my pencil as well as in my mind.
If you want to find out how much control you have, try drawing a straight line! It’s difficult to be creative when you’re constantly trying to control the outcome, just as it’s impossible to live life when you have a white-knuckle grip on it.
After spending some time drawing and writing, it was time for me to step right up to what scared me: ordering fish from the counter. Just as when I was sketching, I didn’t allow myself to overthink it. I took a number and asked for a kilo de merluza.
Not only did I find the courage to tell her sin cabeza, I also managed to tell her what it was for, ask if she could clean it, and to please remove the skin and the bones, and if it was enough for six people! I left with my merluza, feeling as free as my pencil gliding through the paper, able to make a straight line with ease.
Letting go of the idea that I needed to be perfect before I spoke allowed me to learn from my mistakes. Embracing our mistakes without the aid of an eraser helps us learn.
My discovery? When I speak Spanish and correct myself before I start, it’s like using an eraser to erase the line before I know it’s wrong. The harder you try to avoid mistakes, the worse it becomes.
When I ordered the fish, I made mistakes, but it was a more successful outcome because I let go of trying to be perfect. The more I spoke, the more I felt a surge of confidence and the more I wanted to try again!
Confidence is earned by believing in yourself and anticipating a positive outcome. The only way to gain more of it is to do the very thing you’re not confident in.
Shifting your perspective and embracing your mistakes trains your mind that mistakes allow you to grow and learn from new experiences.
Challenging myself by trying new things has carved out new neural pathways in my brain, allowing me to have the confidence to do the very thing that intimidated me before.
When you push yourself to do the things that scare you, it empowers you and retrains your brain that you are capable of doing things that you’re afraid of. Combining that with something you don’t know how to do helps train your mind that mistakes are a part of being a beginner. When you achieve the things you were once afraid of, you become more confident in your abilities and you’ll set bigger goals.
People will often express that most people will never do what we have done. Having the courage to sell everything and start over abroad comes from building up our tank of confidence by throwing ourselves into new experiences and training our minds that we are capable of doing what we thought was impossible.
But, new experiences to build your courage muscle don’t always have to look like moving abroad and renovating a 1800s stone barn!
Driving by myself here in Spain after not driving for three years has been very empowering and a great practice in training my mind that I’m capable of conquering my fears. Taking an art class in Spanish—I’m not only learning something new, but I’m training my mind to embrace that mistakes are a part of learning and being a beginner.
My new mantra “La grandeza lleva tiempo”
If you have perfectionist tendencies like me, sometimes it can be a difficult process to let go of control and embrace your mistakes. Gardening, cooking or drawing for me has taught me that mistakes can sometimes lead to a better outcome.
Choose something that works for you to train your mind to start celebrating mistakes as growth opportunities and having the courage to try something new!
