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so yeah,i just joined this company recently and i can't stress enough how many times i've made mistakes at my job.it's definitely not something to be proud of when the other new hires are performing significantly better than i am.it's so embarrassing. i keep making stupid mistakes that are like the most basic things ever that everyone is supposed to know at the back of their hand. even i realise that.

and it's not like i'm being careless when it comes to doing my job, i double check my work, even triple and multiple check it before sending it for approval. hell, i just spent literally 15 minutes today checking and rechecking my work to make sure that i didn't screw up anything. but guess what? i made like a total of 8 mistakes. and those are like the most stupidest mistakes you can make when it comes to doing my job.

the worst thing is, my boss know about all the stupid mistakes that i keep making. he hasn't confronted me directly about it yet, but i'm paranoid that it's only a matter of time before he does. and when he does, i'm afraid of what the repercussions might be. i literally can't sleep at night worrying about what i might fÃƒÂ¼ck up next. a trainer of mine just literally asked me like what is wrong with you and why are you keep making so many mistakes? and he even said that "i don't think you even check your work before sending them in to me". but like seriously wtf? like i literally spent 15 minutes going through everything before i sent it in.

WTF IS WRONG WITH ME??

i keep making mistakes even though i'm consciously telling myself not to do it. all the mistakes that i keep making has definitely put me on my boss's watch list. i keep failing even though i try so hard to improve myself. it's like i try my best to go around and take notes and stuff when the other new hires just laze around all day and play with their phones or even take casual naps.

i work my as$ off at work but i don't get the result that i'm looking for. and the ones who don't even bother making any effort in learning, are getting positive reviews on their work. like how is that even possible?

just so you guys know, all the new hires are subjected to a 6 month probation period,i can't quit even if i wanted to.there was like a contract that i had to sign where i'm not supposed to leave the company while i'm subjected to the probation period. and i don't want to quit, i'm not a quitter. i just wanna make this work for me.it's at a really big multinational company.other fresh grads would dream to work at that place and earn as much as i do. not that i'm bragging about it, but i just feel like i'm not good enough for it. but i know i have it in me to excel at work, i just don't know how. it's bumming me out.i'm not getting better at my job, i'm getting worse at it. i'm trying so hard not to screw up, i just keep screwing up worse than before.

i'm just not getting the hang of it yet. the thing is, i should have gotten used to it by now. it's been a month and i'm definitely not showing any productivity. for the love of all that is good and holy, what's my problem??

Neither that username nor this post are appropriate for this site. I think you took a wrong turn somewhere while looking for Reddit or Tumblr. — Jul 9 '16 at 9:29
There isn't enough information here for us to answer your question. Maybe try to improve your sleep patterns? Improve your diet? Drink more water? These things have been shown to improve concentration and focus, but we don't know enough about you or your life to say. Maybe pick up Sudoku or some other type of brain exercise? — Jul 9 '16 at 10:31
You don't mention your job function, or the types of mistakes you make. Depending on either, 15 minutes may not be enough time to double check everything for mistakes. In addition, I agree with @Lilienthal, that your user name isn't appropriate for this site. I would suggest changing your name and cleaning up the post so it's less of a rant, and more of a "What can I do to keep making these types of mistakes?" question. — Jul 9 '16 at 13:33
for some reason, i don't understand why my username is bothering almost everyone leaving their replies here. my apologies if it rubbed you guys the wrong way. but anyway, @kilisi i'm not on any drugs. i just can't seem to execute my job well and i can't figure out why. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:12
@lumberjack i do admit that i haven't had a proper sleep in weeks due to the stress at my workplace. it's just been bothering me way too much to the point where i'm just not able to fall asleep at all sometimes — Jul 9 '16 at 14:12

score 8 · Answer 1 · 2016-07-09 14:59:03Z

what's my problem?? you ask? Well, I'll tell you what I see wrong in this post, and maybe that will shed some light.

I think you may have heard it said before that first impressions are the most important, or that in the workplace (positive) visibility matters even more than productivity (a fine balance must be struck here).

And so, let's imagine for a moment that I was making a first impression about you in a professional environment.

Right off the bat the unstructured format of your post is a big minus. No capitalization, improper punctuation, poor use of the English language , an informal, even slang form of expressing yourself, all while offering little actionable information (a poorly written rant).

This tells me that you:

Have problems expressing yourself in writing (lack of skill, capacity, or knowledge?), or simply don't care enough to put in the effort (laziness).

However, you express yourself quite well in some of the comments, which leads me to believe it's more the second than the first. If this attitude/behavior is bleeding into the workplace it can be a major factor in why you are making silly mistakes. Assume that even the most trivial task demands your full attention. Take the time and ask yourself:

If this were an email to a complete stranger what would be their first impression of me upon reading this communication?

Once you start looking at things from other people's points of view you might realize that some behaviors are not appropriate for the workplace. You do mention that people seem to have adopted a negative view of your abilities - it all comes back to a carefully crafted image, from the way you dress and style your hair, to how you speak, and even how you express yourself in writing.

Polish up your image, take a minute to consider the implications of everything you're about to do, and watch your image, and quality of work improve.

You can't properly organize your thoughts, or don't realize that you've given people little to no information to actually work with.

This demonstrates either lack critical thinking ability, or a panicked state. I'm going to assume you're not lacking in intellect, so let's work on your state of mind when writing important communications (and your post counts as such).

When under pressure, or otherwise feeling stressed, try to simply take a moment and breathe. When panic or stress is clouding your judgement you are bound to make more silly mistakes. Read up on ways to remain calm under pressure (this might not come easily, and require a lot of practice, but is worth it in the end), and more importantly ask yourself what you did to end up in that situation in the first place.

Did you slack for a few hours then complete your assigned task in the last second? Did you fail to ask for help in a timely manner, got stuck on a detail, or made an assumption which turned out to be wrong, and now your work is flawed, or otherwise unfinished? Would asking for help, or starting on it earlier have avoided the situation?

When something needs doing, and you're really feeling the pressure take a minute to write down the important bullet points of what you want to express, or need to accomplish. This will ensure that you don't accidentaly skip an important step when working under pressure. When writing the post above it would have helped you express yourself in a more concise manner instead of ranting.

Your personal life and lifestyle absolutely bleed into the workplace

gnasher729 touches on this, and I'll mention it as well: lack of sleep, improper diet, drinking, even stress from a personal relationship will all come back to haunt you in the workplace.

I'm a software developer, and my work is typically the sort that requires I concentrate. If I write a poorly thought out function today it might impact my project a week later.

I have definitely noticed a major difference in my performance (critical thinking abilities, etc.) between when I'm well rested, and have my coffee as a treat/habit, and when I'm barely staying awake and drink coffee by the liters only so that I don't fall asleep at my keyboard. Your situation may not be that extreme, but there are many shades inbetween these two states. Partying before a workday has the double consequence of mixing tiredness with the after-effects alcohol consumption.

If this is something that might be affecting your work take some steps to change your lifestyle. This is by no means a simple task, but the first part of every solution is identifying and acknowledging the problem.

Under this category we must also file stress stemming from personal relationships. I've had days when a stressful situation at home renders me absolutely useless in the office. Worse, my boss at the time noticed, and I then had to deal with the stress of an unhappy-with-my-performance manager.

If this is happening to you try to find a way to fix the issue which is causing you anguish, or somehow isolate yourself from the negativity. For example, try blocking that person's messages at work, or don't check your phone until quitting time (this is a short term measure - more of a bandaid on a stab wound than a solution, as it were)

Ask for help before its too late.

Whether you're having difficulties in your personal life, or your professional one, find the courage to ask for help from loved ones, or mentors. You're still too new at your current job to have a mentor relationship with a manager, but please understand that proper communication can lead to fixing many issues before they have truly terrible consequences, such as ruining your reputation, or getting you fired.

You mention being terrified that your boss is going to have a talk with you one of these days. Instead, you should have a talk with him. Ask for a one-on-one, and express your fears and concerns. Tell him/her that you're trying your best, but feel overwhelmed by the stress, etc. (this is especially critical if this is your first job as you want to avoid building bad habits) Ask for advice on how to deal with it, advice on how to check your work, or any other input this person can offer.

Own up to your mistakes, apologize that you've made them, and ask for a chance to prove your real capabilities, and some guidance on how to reach your potential. Of course at that point you have to start improving, and working on all the things I mention above.

All I can say at this point is good luck, and I hope things turn around for you.

those were some really good pointers. i thank you for taking your time to write them down. the part about having the "talk" with my boss? jesus, i can't even look at him in the eye. i just don't have it in me to open up to my boss about my problem, at least not at this moment. just not right now. i guess my timid nature is getting the best of me. with all of the undue stress, i'm clamming up even more. the fact that i'm a slow learner doesn't help either. being a slow learner among fast learners is a tough place to be. — Jul 9 '16 at 15:16
i just hope that my superiors are able to see the amount of effort that i'm actually putting into doing my work and not just the mistakes i make,though at this point it just seems like a wishful thinking. i'm already dreading what awaits me at work on monday.but i guess,i just have to deal with it. — Jul 9 '16 at 15:16
@City_Bitch - sometimes managers can be more perceptive than we could imagine .. or the exact opposite. Don't "hope" that your boss knows you're putting in your best effort. I strongly urge you to speak out and ask for advice/guidance. — Jul 9 '16 at 15:32
One thing you shoudl add to this excellent answer. Regarding repeated mistakes, make a checklist of the things you have to check in your work, include a step on it for each repeated mistake. So if you forgot to sign the form XYZ, put a step in sign form XYZ. Go through the checklist step by step (like a pilot does the prefllght checklist) before turning the work in. When you make a new mistake, add it to the checklist. This will help keep you focused on what to check when you review your work. — Jul 11 '16 at 13:47

gnasher729 70.5k31131219 · Answer 2 · 2016-07-09 09:46:20Z

We often try to meet our own expectations.

Starting with your username: City Bitch. Is that how you see yourself? Is that who you want to be? Once you have a job, bitching doesn't get you anywhere. It only upsets people and makes them want to get rid of you. Nobody wants to help or support a bitch. And bitches are usually stupid.

Then your work: Have you got yourself into a state where you expect to make mistakes? And now you subconsicously make mistakes to meet your expectations? Stop thinking about what's wrong, express your thoughts in a positive way.

When you go to work on Monday, tell yourself "today everything I do will be excellent and absolutely correct". Don't tell yourself "today I won't make any mistakes" because what your subconscious mind hears is ""today I xxx make xxx mistakes". Get yourself into a positive state of mind. If you ask yourself "How am I going to fuck up" stop it immediately and switch to "How am I going to get everything right".

Look at yourself in a positive way. Change your username to Clever_Girl. Can you imagine how that effects you psychologically? Your expectation goes directly from mouthing off when people find your mistakes, to doing everything right because you are clever.

PS. As you can see from the comments, it's not just your expectations, it's other people's expectations as well. The image of yourself that you are trying to project immediately affects other people's view of you.

thanks for your input, i do appreciate it. but the first part of your answer (regarding my username) was like totally uncalled for. like excuse me? that's just totes uncouth. the rest of your input sounds really familiar to me. it's one of those "law of attraction" type of thing. trust me, i've tried it. i just can't seem to stop being so pessimistic about my work ethic.i know i'm better than this, but somehow i just can't meet my own expectations, let alone my superiors. — Jul 9 '16 at 13:59
@City_Bitch - that part about your username was pretty important. Unless you're trolling, or dense as concrete listen up and take note. The way you present yourself to the world - even with something as silly as a username - tells us a lot about your level of maturity, and professionalism. Another example is how you dress for work. I have no way of knowing this about you, but from the attitude you're displaying I am going to make a wild guess and say that formal or semi-formal dress does not come naturally to you. Think long and hard about the image you want to craft for yourself. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:10
@AndreiROM no, i'm not trolling, this is a legit question. i work at a firm where i'm required to dress formally, though on certain days we practice a relaxed dress code. and no offence, you didn't really answer my question. instead you went on rambling about things that doesn't even have anything to do with the question i asked. all you did was pass your unwarranted judgement on me- someone you don't even know. i really don't need this much negativity given the state of mind that i'm in right now. and again, my apologies if i have offended you in any way. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:20
@City_Bitch - oky doke, apologies as well. I am making too many (negative) assumptions. But gnasher729 is giving you some great advice. Read some self help books on positivity. Also read some of the questions and advice here on Workplace. Get a feel for the sort of behavior and expectations people have in a professional environment. Good luck. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:23
@AndreiROM thanks, that's exactly what i've been doing for the past 2 weeks or so. just trying to build that positive mentality type of thing and hope that i could somehow apply it into getting my tasks completed properly. i take each and every advise i get to heart and i will try my best to use them to better myself. any pointers are truly appreciated. i thank you and everyone for giving me some insights at a point in time where i'm feeling at my lowest. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:42

score 8 · Answer 3 · 2016-07-09 14:59:03Z

what's my problem?? you ask? Well, I'll tell you what I see wrong in this post, and maybe that will shed some light.

I think you may have heard it said before that first impressions are the most important, or that in the workplace (positive) visibility matters even more than productivity (a fine balance must be struck here).

And so, let's imagine for a moment that I was making a first impression about you in a professional environment.

Right off the bat the unstructured format of your post is a big minus. No capitalization, improper punctuation, poor use of the English language , an informal, even slang form of expressing yourself, all while offering little actionable information (a poorly written rant).

This tells me that you:

Have problems expressing yourself in writing (lack of skill, capacity, or knowledge?), or simply don't care enough to put in the effort (laziness).

However, you express yourself quite well in some of the comments, which leads me to believe it's more the second than the first. If this attitude/behavior is bleeding into the workplace it can be a major factor in why you are making silly mistakes. Assume that even the most trivial task demands your full attention. Take the time and ask yourself:

If this were an email to a complete stranger what would be their first impression of me upon reading this communication?

Once you start looking at things from other people's points of view you might realize that some behaviors are not appropriate for the workplace. You do mention that people seem to have adopted a negative view of your abilities - it all comes back to a carefully crafted image, from the way you dress and style your hair, to how you speak, and even how you express yourself in writing.

Polish up your image, take a minute to consider the implications of everything you're about to do, and watch your image, and quality of work improve.

You can't properly organize your thoughts, or don't realize that you've given people little to no information to actually work with.

This demonstrates either lack critical thinking ability, or a panicked state. I'm going to assume you're not lacking in intellect, so let's work on your state of mind when writing important communications (and your post counts as such).

When under pressure, or otherwise feeling stressed, try to simply take a moment and breathe. When panic or stress is clouding your judgement you are bound to make more silly mistakes. Read up on ways to remain calm under pressure (this might not come easily, and require a lot of practice, but is worth it in the end), and more importantly ask yourself what you did to end up in that situation in the first place.

Did you slack for a few hours then complete your assigned task in the last second? Did you fail to ask for help in a timely manner, got stuck on a detail, or made an assumption which turned out to be wrong, and now your work is flawed, or otherwise unfinished? Would asking for help, or starting on it earlier have avoided the situation?

When something needs doing, and you're really feeling the pressure take a minute to write down the important bullet points of what you want to express, or need to accomplish. This will ensure that you don't accidentaly skip an important step when working under pressure. When writing the post above it would have helped you express yourself in a more concise manner instead of ranting.

Your personal life and lifestyle absolutely bleed into the workplace

gnasher729 touches on this, and I'll mention it as well: lack of sleep, improper diet, drinking, even stress from a personal relationship will all come back to haunt you in the workplace.

I'm a software developer, and my work is typically the sort that requires I concentrate. If I write a poorly thought out function today it might impact my project a week later.

I have definitely noticed a major difference in my performance (critical thinking abilities, etc.) between when I'm well rested, and have my coffee as a treat/habit, and when I'm barely staying awake and drink coffee by the liters only so that I don't fall asleep at my keyboard. Your situation may not be that extreme, but there are many shades inbetween these two states. Partying before a workday has the double consequence of mixing tiredness with the after-effects alcohol consumption.

If this is something that might be affecting your work take some steps to change your lifestyle. This is by no means a simple task, but the first part of every solution is identifying and acknowledging the problem.

Under this category we must also file stress stemming from personal relationships. I've had days when a stressful situation at home renders me absolutely useless in the office. Worse, my boss at the time noticed, and I then had to deal with the stress of an unhappy-with-my-performance manager.

If this is happening to you try to find a way to fix the issue which is causing you anguish, or somehow isolate yourself from the negativity. For example, try blocking that person's messages at work, or don't check your phone until quitting time (this is a short term measure - more of a bandaid on a stab wound than a solution, as it were)

Ask for help before its too late.

Whether you're having difficulties in your personal life, or your professional one, find the courage to ask for help from loved ones, or mentors. You're still too new at your current job to have a mentor relationship with a manager, but please understand that proper communication can lead to fixing many issues before they have truly terrible consequences, such as ruining your reputation, or getting you fired.

You mention being terrified that your boss is going to have a talk with you one of these days. Instead, you should have a talk with him. Ask for a one-on-one, and express your fears and concerns. Tell him/her that you're trying your best, but feel overwhelmed by the stress, etc. (this is especially critical if this is your first job as you want to avoid building bad habits) Ask for advice on how to deal with it, advice on how to check your work, or any other input this person can offer.

Own up to your mistakes, apologize that you've made them, and ask for a chance to prove your real capabilities, and some guidance on how to reach your potential. Of course at that point you have to start improving, and working on all the things I mention above.

All I can say at this point is good luck, and I hope things turn around for you.

those were some really good pointers. i thank you for taking your time to write them down. the part about having the "talk" with my boss? jesus, i can't even look at him in the eye. i just don't have it in me to open up to my boss about my problem, at least not at this moment. just not right now. i guess my timid nature is getting the best of me. with all of the undue stress, i'm clamming up even more. the fact that i'm a slow learner doesn't help either. being a slow learner among fast learners is a tough place to be. — Jul 9 '16 at 15:16
i just hope that my superiors are able to see the amount of effort that i'm actually putting into doing my work and not just the mistakes i make,though at this point it just seems like a wishful thinking. i'm already dreading what awaits me at work on monday.but i guess,i just have to deal with it. — Jul 9 '16 at 15:16
@City_Bitch - sometimes managers can be more perceptive than we could imagine .. or the exact opposite. Don't "hope" that your boss knows you're putting in your best effort. I strongly urge you to speak out and ask for advice/guidance. — Jul 9 '16 at 15:32
One thing you shoudl add to this excellent answer. Regarding repeated mistakes, make a checklist of the things you have to check in your work, include a step on it for each repeated mistake. So if you forgot to sign the form XYZ, put a step in sign form XYZ. Go through the checklist step by step (like a pilot does the prefllght checklist) before turning the work in. When you make a new mistake, add it to the checklist. This will help keep you focused on what to check when you review your work. — Jul 11 '16 at 13:47

gnasher729 70.5k31131219 · Answer 4 · 2016-07-09 09:46:20Z

We often try to meet our own expectations.

Starting with your username: City Bitch. Is that how you see yourself? Is that who you want to be? Once you have a job, bitching doesn't get you anywhere. It only upsets people and makes them want to get rid of you. Nobody wants to help or support a bitch. And bitches are usually stupid.

Then your work: Have you got yourself into a state where you expect to make mistakes? And now you subconsicously make mistakes to meet your expectations? Stop thinking about what's wrong, express your thoughts in a positive way.

When you go to work on Monday, tell yourself "today everything I do will be excellent and absolutely correct". Don't tell yourself "today I won't make any mistakes" because what your subconscious mind hears is ""today I xxx make xxx mistakes". Get yourself into a positive state of mind. If you ask yourself "How am I going to fuck up" stop it immediately and switch to "How am I going to get everything right".

Look at yourself in a positive way. Change your username to Clever_Girl. Can you imagine how that effects you psychologically? Your expectation goes directly from mouthing off when people find your mistakes, to doing everything right because you are clever.

PS. As you can see from the comments, it's not just your expectations, it's other people's expectations as well. The image of yourself that you are trying to project immediately affects other people's view of you.

thanks for your input, i do appreciate it. but the first part of your answer (regarding my username) was like totally uncalled for. like excuse me? that's just totes uncouth. the rest of your input sounds really familiar to me. it's one of those "law of attraction" type of thing. trust me, i've tried it. i just can't seem to stop being so pessimistic about my work ethic.i know i'm better than this, but somehow i just can't meet my own expectations, let alone my superiors. — Jul 9 '16 at 13:59
@City_Bitch - that part about your username was pretty important. Unless you're trolling, or dense as concrete listen up and take note. The way you present yourself to the world - even with something as silly as a username - tells us a lot about your level of maturity, and professionalism. Another example is how you dress for work. I have no way of knowing this about you, but from the attitude you're displaying I am going to make a wild guess and say that formal or semi-formal dress does not come naturally to you. Think long and hard about the image you want to craft for yourself. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:10
@AndreiROM no, i'm not trolling, this is a legit question. i work at a firm where i'm required to dress formally, though on certain days we practice a relaxed dress code. and no offence, you didn't really answer my question. instead you went on rambling about things that doesn't even have anything to do with the question i asked. all you did was pass your unwarranted judgement on me- someone you don't even know. i really don't need this much negativity given the state of mind that i'm in right now. and again, my apologies if i have offended you in any way. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:20
@City_Bitch - oky doke, apologies as well. I am making too many (negative) assumptions. But gnasher729 is giving you some great advice. Read some self help books on positivity. Also read some of the questions and advice here on Workplace. Get a feel for the sort of behavior and expectations people have in a professional environment. Good luck. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:23
@AndreiROM thanks, that's exactly what i've been doing for the past 2 weeks or so. just trying to build that positive mentality type of thing and hope that i could somehow apply it into getting my tasks completed properly. i take each and every advise i get to heart and i will try my best to use them to better myself. any pointers are truly appreciated. i thank you and everyone for giving me some insights at a point in time where i'm feeling at my lowest. — Jul 9 '16 at 14:42

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Why do i keep making stupid mistakes at work? [closed]

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

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Why do i keep making stupid mistakes at work? [closed]

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

closed as off-topic by Lilienthalâ™¦, gnat, Jim G., paparazzo, keshlam Jul 9 '16 at 19:18

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