Don’t let your stupid mistakes go to waste

My 2023 fantasy football season was horrific. I rolled into week 12 with a 3-8 record and shattered confidence despite a successful 15-year career and two fantasy football championships.

But recent failures have a way of inducing amnesia about past successes.

I had a difficult lineup decision—should I start quarterback A or B? My gut said A, but my mind said to phone a friend, who said quarterback B.

Ignoring my instincts honed over a dozen years of playing this silly game successfully, I added the phone-a-friend pick to my lineup.

And I lost by 10.

My gut player outscored my friend’s pick by 11 points.

Do the math. Not trusting my instincts cost me a win by one point. I broke three bones in my hand venting to an unrelenting brick wall. That’s a lie, but the pain of this mistake was just as excruciating.

But why let stupid mistakes go to waste? You will make plenty if you’re like me, so let’s learn a few things from them.

Win By Learning These Five Things From Your Stupid Mistakes

1 — It’s your finger on the button

I’m not going to lie. I was mad at my friend for giving me terrible advice. He should feel the same gut punch stupidity that had me bent over in pain. Isn’t that ridiculous? I hear fingernails scraping against a chalkboard when people blame others for their mistakes. I pushed the button, not my friend.

Looking back, he should only feel stupid for advising a man who would hang him for it.

I fumbled the decision and I should own it.

2 — It’s dangerous to give advice

The easy lesson is to stop giving unsolicited advice. Don’t be that person. You know who I’m talking about. My kids would say it’s me, but that’s my job as a father. The more difficult decision is to avoid giving advice when someone requests it. Our heads swell with pride, but they may want our heads on a stick when our advice is wrong.

Tread lightly.

3 — It’s worthless to wallow in your mistakes

Learn the lesson and move on. Crucifying yourself over and over is a painful waste of emotional and mental energy.

Proverbs 26:11 says,

“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.”

This is an excellent verse about not repeating your mistakes, but every replay of your fumble is a return to your vomit. Wallowing in mistakes leads to second-guessing future decisions. Instead, grow through the experience and be better prepared for the future.

Prepare; don’t despair.

4 — It’s worthwhile to seek advice

I don’t want to mislead — asking for advice is a good idea. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.” I wasn’t wrong to ask my friend for advice. He’s really good at fantasy football, but I should have asked a couple more guys in the league to get a consensus.

Confer with the crowd.

5 — It’s more than a feeling

Ben Shapiro is famous for saying, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.” The fact is, I had 15 years of successful fantasy football experience. My “gut feeling” was more than a feeling — it was a highly trained instinct that evolved from years of reading and thinking about the silly game. But a lousy season has cracked my confidence.

Trust in your triumphs.

Extra point — It’s not just about you

Forgive yourself for your mistakes and also forgive others. In humility, understand that you’re not perfect and will need forgiveness. We all do at some point.

Colossians 3:13 says,

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Go with grace.

Wrapping it up

You’re reading this article, which means you’re breathing. If you’re breathing tomorrow and next week, life guarantees you’ll make mistakes. Don’t waste them, and don’t wallow in them. But here’s the thing—don’t let your fumbles go to waste.

Own your mistakes. Be careful giving advice. Don’t wallow in your failures. Ask around, but trust your gut. And for Pete’s sake, cut yourself and others some slack. Remember, every stupid mistake is a chance to get smarter.

Adjust your attitude and go get some wins!

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