Mistakes.  We all make them, don’t we?  Well, I know I do.  Some are big and some are small.  But I’ve found one thing to be true.  It’s what we do after we make a mistake that turns it into either  a success or a failure.

Here’s how I turned a big, expensive mistake into a success.  After cutting a LOT of fabric for two panels which were two and one half widths each, and with a finished length of 18′, I realized I cut all but the first piece of fabric wrong.  BIG mistake!

How did this happen you ask?   Well, I didn’t just jump in and start cutting.   I had a perfect plan for my fabric cuts.  But after cutting my first piece of fabric, I lost my focus.  I was no longer focused on cutting the fabric.  I was no longer in the present moment.  And I’ve always heard that when we are in the present we are functioning at our highest level.  And this mistake is a perfect example of this, isn’t it?

What did I do?  First, I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled.  Feeling a little better already!

Next, I assessed where I was and what I needed to do to in order to fix the mistake.  I figured out exactly how much fabric I would need to order to correct my mistake.

Next, I called the fabric vendor and seeing that it was almost 5:30 pm I knew acting fast was important.  I asked if they had the fabric I needed in stock, was the dye lot the same as the fabric I had mis-cut, and were they able to ship it overnight so that it would arrive the next day.  Yes on all accounts.  And can you imagine how much better I was feeling?

The fabric arrived.  The panels were completed and installed on time.  And most importantly, the client never knew.  You see, it was not her problem, it was my mistake.

This was a very costly mistake on my part,  But, it’s just money.  It’s not life or death.

So the moral of the story in turning a mistake into a success is to 1.  Breathe; 2.  Assess; 3.  Act; 4.  Stay positive.

Designs by Donna’s tag line is, Creating Joy Out of Passion.  Through doing the above, I was still able to bring joy and beauty into my client’s home with her beautiful new window treatments.  And that brought me joy.

Have you had times where you were able to turn a mistake into a success?  I hope you’ll share in the comments below.  I’d love to hear from you!