3 Professionals share what they learnt from their work fails

Learn to let go “I used to struggle to say ‘no’ when an interesting project came into view. Even if my plate was already full, I made room for more, because I believed I was the best one for the task – until it became every task. Movie nights turned into nights glued to my laptop, relationships turned into small talk over coffee, and I felt unhappy and alone. I had forgotten myself in my work-only cycle! When I realised the extent to which my job was consuming every aspect of my life, I decided to pump the breaks, however well I thought I would do with a project. There are some things we simply have to let go of.” – Zethu Gqola, freelance PR and digital manager, One-eyed Jack

Give yourself a break “I really love my job – the hustle, the bustle and the networking. However, I’m prone to anxiety, and at the end of 2014, I had a bad burnout as my body went into total shut-down mode and I had a panic attack at work. It was nobody’s fault but my own: I had pushed myself too far and too hard without taking enough breaks, and it was a big lesson for me. I now take a day off every two months just to relax, read, lie at the pool or go out for lunch on my own. I also make sure that I use regular exercise as a way to destress.” – Leigh Newlands, account manager, Butter Knife PR

Ask for help “I was doing my articles at a law firm, and determined to prove that I was hard-working and capable of operating independently, when I placed a trial notice without alerting the opposing attorneys to the date. In addition to being extremely embarrassed, I discovered that the oversight would incur additional penalty costs for the client. I was very lucky to be able to rectify the mistake – and to see how important it is to double-check procedures and to get help. No one would have looked down on me if I had simply asked a few questions!” – Jade Robertson, legal article clerk, AS Hurter Attorneys