I keep messing up at work. Should I quit? There are plenty of reasons to quit and start your next job search, but mistakes shouldn't be, especially if you love your work. A toxic work environment or work that doesn't let you fulfill your purpose are reasons to leave, but low confidence from making some mistakes.
Fix your mistake (if possible) and apologize
If there's a way to fix your mistake, do it immediately. Then, let your boss know what happened and apologize. Depending on how big or small the mistake was, you can do it via email or in person.
Whether it's losing your cool in a meeting or forgetting that report you were supposed to send at 3 pm, there are times when we inevitably mess up or fail. These bumps in the road are a normal part of work, but if you manage them poorly, they can reduce your level of trustworthiness and damage your reputation.
In my view, demonstrating carelessness in terms of one's integrity is always a fireable offense. Integrity means owning and cleaning up after your mistakes. Blame, obfuscation, excuses and dissociation from the core values of a company cannot be tolerated.
A huge mistake can wipe out a career, but other smaller mistakes can damage your workplace reputation just as much.
While owning up to your mistakes is almost always a good idea, you shouldn't apologize for every tiny thing you do wrong. You'll only look unprofessional and lacking in confidence. Apologize for big mistakes, of course, but avoid saying sorry for things like: Asking for clarification on something.
While it doesn't always lead to dismissal, it's best to avoid verbal reprimanding altogether. Dismissal: If your mistake inflicted irreparable damage to the company and its overall image, you may be out of a job.
If your work is suffering and you're finding you're making mistakes you never before made, that could be another sign of burnout. We all make mistakes from time to time, but when the mistakes become abnormal, that's when you want to investigate the root of the issue and figure out if the cause is burnout.
Workplace anxiety involves feeling stressed, nervous, uneasy, or tense about work, which could include anxiety about job performance, interactions with co-workers, or even public speaking. Workplace anxiety is common—around 40% of Americans report feeling stressed during their workday.
Just apologize, sincerely, and mean it. Understand the full weight of your decisions, and empathize with how it must have felt in that persons shoes. They deserve your apology, whether they choose to accept it or not, and you will feel better as a result. If your mess up is between you and you, apologize to yourself.
Crying at work is not career-ending. Research shows that others are generally more empathetic than you might imagine. A survey of over 2,000 senior executives found that 44% of C-suite leaders believe crying is okay from time to time, and another 30% believe it has no negative effect on how you are perceived at work.
To apologize the right way at work, acknowledge what happened, state your mistake, and take corrective action based on what you've learned. Avoid apologizing too often or apologizing for others' mistakes, and don't take constructive criticism as a reprimand. Short, prompt and (if possible) in-person apologies are best.
Maybe. If you work in a high-stress job and have a lot of anxiety, there's no doubt that taking some time off or changing to a less stressful career will help your anxiety. If you find yourself asking “should I quit my job because of anxiety?” then it might be time to reevaluate your work situation.
Some of the many causes of work-related stress include long hours, heavy workload, job insecurity and conflicts with co-workers or bosses. Symptoms include a drop in work performance, depression, anxiety and sleeping difficulties.
Talk to someone you trust
If you feel too anxious to work, it is likely that your anxiety is impacting on other areas of your life too. Don't try to keep what you are going through to yourself. Speak to the people you are close to. Talking through anxiety can be a good way of processing your overwhelming emotions.
Smart, successful people are by no means immune to making mistakes; they simply have the tools in place to learn from their errors. In other words, they recognize the roots of their mix-ups quickly and never make the same mistake twice.
Missing details such as dates/instructions. Not reading the question correctly. Spelling or grammatical errors. Missing words and spelling errors in emails, social media posts, texts (story of my life)
Verbalize the offense: Once you know you're in the wrong, approach the offended party and openly verbalize what has occurred when you apologize. Be specific but also brief, and let them know you're clear on what the misstep was, which is the first and most important step in avoiding the same mistake in the future.