How To Stop Repeating The Same Mistake Over And Over And Over Again

If you're repeating the same mistakes again and again, then you're not growing.

— Abbas Ali (@TheAbbasAli_) June 30, 2025

Making mistakes is fine.

Because it’s inevitable and you can’t learn without making mistakes.

But making the same mistakes over and over again is not fine.

Repeating the same mistake is a sign that you’re not improving, growing, and evolving.

Here is an example from my own life:

I know that if I grab my phone and check my notifications first thing in the morning, my entire day will be ruined. Whenever I check my phone after waking up, my days are unproductive and messy.

But still, I made this mistake the day before yesterday.

Guess what? I had an unproductive day; I didn’t even publish an article. I felt bad about myself.

We all do this even though we know it is not good for us and makes us feel bad later.

We know that if we keep our phone beside us while studying, we’ll eventually get distracted by the notifications.

We know that if we don’t create an outline before going to bed, we’ll struggle to write in the morning.

We know that if we turn on the TV after coming home from school, college, or work, we’ll waste the entire evening.

But still, we keep making these mistakes day after day.

These mistakes at that very moment feel insignificant. But if you think long-term, you’ll realize how much it is affecting your progress.

The simple act of checking my phone in the morning doesn’t feel like a big deal.

But if I keep repeating this mistake even twice a week, I’m breaking my writing momentum. 

When I lose momentum, it takes time for me to get back on track again. As you know, when it comes to writing online, consistency is the key.

But if I completely stop making this mistake. I’ll be writing every day, and make progress faster.

They say: You can’t grow without making mistakes.

Yes, that’s right.

But what they don’t say is this…

You will never grow if you don’t stop making the same mistakes over and over again.

So, how am I going to stop making the same mistakes?

By doing what I call the “Mistakes Journaling”.

I created “Mistakes Journaling” long back when I was trying to overcome my addictions.

I used it to gain awareness of the triggers of my addictions.

It played a major role in helping me overcome my addictions.

Here is how it works:

Every night before going to sleep. I answer 5 questions.

1) List down all the mistakes you made today. One by one.

2) Try to think deeply and list down exactly what triggered you to make those mistakes.

3) List down how those mistakes affected your day.

4) List down what happens in 3 months if you keep making these mistakes every day.

5) List down the steps you’re going to take tomorrow to avoid these mistakes.

Here is a real example:

1) List down all the mistakes you made today. One by one.

1. I grabbed my phone immediately after waking up and started scrolling.
2. I skipped my workout.
3. I ate a lot of junk food.
4. I wasted all my time watching Netflix.

2) Try to think deeply and list down exactly what triggered you to make those mistakes.

1. I opened my phone to check the time. I saw a few pop-up Instagram notifications, I clicked on them, checked them, and then started to scroll.
2. I was not at all motivated to work out. I was lethargic.
3. I opened my fridge to drink some water. I saw a chocolate cake. It triggered me to eat it.
4. I was so bored today. I don’t know what to do. So, I binged Netflix.

3) List down how those mistakes affected your day.

1. I planned to study first thing in the morning, but I grabbed my phone and completely got distracted. I didn’t study anything for my upcoming exam.
2. I really felt bad about myself for not working out today. I tell myself I want to get in good shape, but I am not taking any action.
3. I promised I would not eat junk food again. But I broke my promise. I felt guilty.
4. I was not even enjoying the movie. My mind kept telling me, “You’re wasting your time, you’re wasting your time”. I regret doing that.

4) List down what happens in 3 months if you keep making these mistakes every day.

1. I’ll not get good grades or may even fail my exams if I keep distracting myself with my phone first thing in the morning.
2. If I keep skipping workouts I’m gonna get fat and not look good.
3. If I keep eating junk food, my health is going to be a mess and I’ll also get fat quickly.
4. If I keep watching Netflix, I’ll waste a LOT of my time for nothing and make no progress towards my goals.

5) List down the steps you’re going to take tomorrow to avoid these mistakes.

1. I’m gonna turn off all the social media notifications from my phone. I’ll not grab my phone to know the time. I’ll go to my living room and look at the clock.
2. I’ll push myself into the gym when it’s 5 PM. I know once I get started, everything becomes easy.
3. I’ll tell my mom to keep junk food out of sight or not buy it at all. I’ll fill my fridge with fruits and other healthy snacks.
4. I’ll leave my house and go to the library to study. I’ll only get the urge to watch Netflix if I’m home and bored. If I’m bored, I’ll go for a walk.

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I stopped doing this for a long time. I think it’s time to start doing this again.

If you’re also making the same mistakes again and again, start doing “Mistakes Journaling”.

It really helps. You’ll understand how powerful it is if you do this journaling consistently for 30 days.

I use a Notion template to do this.

You can grab the template for free👉Daily Mistakes Journal

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P.S. Do the ‘Mistakes Journaling’ tonight.