Episode 005: The Mistake Was Small

What happens when one mistake becomes a whole story about who you are?

In this episode, Jane Newman and Kass have a very real and unscripted conversation about making mistakes, self judgement and what happens when our minds turn one error into evidence that we've failed.

Kass shares a recent mistake at work that left her losing sleep, feeling physically unwell and imagining what other people must be thinking about her competence. Jane challenges the story she is telling herself: did she really get everything wrong, or did she get one thing wrong?

Together, they explore catastrophising, the pressure we put on ourselves to get things right, the difference between what actually happened and the story we create around it, and why making mistakes is part of being human.

Jane introduces the idea of “filling your power cup” and shares how emotional agility can help us identify what we are feeling, articulate what is underneath it, recognise the need involved and find the evidence that helps us move forward.

The conversation also explores the importance of creating safe spaces where people can make mistakes, and a simple practical pause: when you feel the urge to respond immediately, perhaps that's the moment to stop, wait and give yourself some space.

Because sometimes the mistake is small. It's the story we tell ourselves about it that becomes enormous.