We all make mistakes. Some are little while others are huge. Making mistakes is normal and something we all experience once in a while.

When you begin to make lots of mistakes clustered together, it can be very unsettling. You may find that you are beginning to lose confidence and engage in self doubt. Don’t worry. Those mistakes may be trying to tell you something. All you need to do is to begin to listen to your body, your intuition and even your mistakes.

I was making a lot of mistakes

You may know I’m a public school music teacher in addition to being a spiritual life coach,  and this is performance season. Performance season is typically exhausting while at the same time it is exhilarating … and very time consuming. It would be natural for me to be tired during performance season. But I knew there was more going on. How did I know? Well, I was making a TON of mistakes. I had typos in my emails and blogs, I was mixing up schedules,forgetting to do things, dropping all sorts of things – quite literally, etc.

I was making so many mistakes it caused me to take a hard look at why. When we began to make a series of mistakes, it is often a sign that something is out of balance and needs attention. This was absolutely the case for me. I was out of balance.

Here are 6 things to help you make fewer mistakes.

1. Slow down and get more rest. Extreme fatigue is dangerous. We don’t function properly when we are exhausted. Fatigue causes such impairment that it has been shown to impact driving safety. In fact, studies show that fatigue (when ignored) causes impaired driving that is as serious as consuming alcohol before driving. This happens because fatigue makes it harder for us to direct our attention to the task we are trying to complete. (Source) Rest doesn’t have to mean sleep. Rest might mean sitting on the couch with a good book or an episode of your favorite show, walking your dog or vegging out with a drink in your hand on the patio.
2. Find new ways to manage stress. We all know that stress can impact our physical, emotional and intellectual well-being so this isn’t a surprise. There is a long list of conditions stress can cause. (Source) Often times, stress causes us to engage in self-soothing behaviors that cause more stress. For example, over-eating then leads to us not feeling well or gaining weight. The side-effects of self-medicating stress (like drinking alcohol, eating lots of sugar, watching too much tv) can cause us to feel more stress as we deal with their side effects (hangovers, weight gain, blood sugar variations, procrastination). This can become a vicious cycle in a hurry! Try to focus on your breath. Breathe deeply just for a few minutes and you’ll feel yourself begin to calm.
3. Find something in your daily life that you can either dump or delegate to someone else. You don’t have to do it all. Freeing up just one thing in your life will make a big difference in how you feel. Last year, I gave my housekeepers a break and I hired my teenager to be my housekeeper as she was raising money for a trip. I ended up being her cleaning partner (which was not my favorite thing to do) – but it was good experience for her. As soon as the trip was paid off, I re-hired my long-time housekeepers. Coming home to a sparkling clean house is AWESOME! Tess and Shane, seriously, you two are a big part of my success team!
4. Take an objective look at your nutrition. You car won’t start if you don’t put fuel in it. Your body won’t function properly without adequate nutrition. Nutritionists tell us that when we eat, our plates should be 50% veggies and/or greens, 25% carbs or starches, and 25% lean protein. Monitoring your sugar and fat intake also helps. I like to check in with a nutrition log or tracker every now and again to make sure I am getting the nutrients I need daily. There are some great apps out there. My personal favorite (I’m not affiliated in any way with this app) is My Fitness Pal. It shows nutrition, exercise, calories, and progress. You don’t have to track every meal for ever. Just track a few days. Are you getting your B vitamins? Enough Vitamin C and Vitamin A? Where is your daily protein coming in? Getting enough vitamins and minerals can really make you feel amazing!
5. Be diligent about putting positive things into your mind, soul and spirit. Mediate. Read great books. Watch uplifting or funny shows. Limit stressful movies until you are feeling more normal. Talk with a trusted friend. Do something fun just because you want to! By taking time for yourself, you are actually making sure you have more to give your loved ones. I’ll include links so some meditations at the bottom of this post.
6.  Let your doctor know what’s going on. When you’ve adjusted your stress level, gotten some rest, ensured your nutrition is optimal, delegated some daily tasks and you STILL find yourself making mistakes…it might be time to get some outside support. This support could be a therapist, a life coach or a medical doctor. In my case, I ended up being diagnosed with hypothyroidism (thyroid disease). Getting my condition treated is really helping every area of my life, though it is a work in progress. But I’m heading in the right direction.

Still feel overwhelmed and looking for someone who can help? Spiritual Life coaching sessions may be just what you are looking for.

I get it. Sometimes we need help. We feel overwhelmed and just need some perspective to see things more clearly. I offer spiritual life coaching sessions where I offer you simple tools and strategies for dealing with day to day life. Want more time for the people you love? I can help. Wish you were clear on what your next steps should be? I can help. Need to cut through the clutter of your daily life? I can help. Want more balance in your life? I can help. Do you have a desire to bring spirituality into the rest of your life? I can help.

I know you are busy and that’s why I am offering all of my spiritual life coaching sessions online. All you need is a computer or a smart phone / tablet. There is no commute. You can meet me from anywhere that’s convenient for you. Check out my online scheduler and a time that is convenient for you.