How to learn from our mistakes with psychologist Dr Julie Smith and guests

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.2 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a special programme exploring 'mistakes' and our relationship with the word Nuala McGovern speaks to clinical psychologist and best-selling author of Open When, Dr Julie Smith, and hears why we dislike making mistakes in our personal and professional lives.

Journalist Nicole Mowbray tells Nuala how she felt when her mistake at The Observer caused an 'international incident'.

Are women judged more harshly for the mistakes they make in the workplace? Sarah Ellis, co-founder of Amazing If and the co-host of the Squiggly Careers podcast, and marketing specialist and co-host of the Working On It podcast, Lauren Spearman, discuss how to deal with errors that occur at work.

What impact does it have on you growing up if you were told you were conceived by ‘mistake’? Nuala speaks to journalist Sophie Heawood, who says she got pregnant by ‘mistake’ and journalist Bethan Ryder who was the baby of a ‘mistake’, they discuss what the word means to them.

And maths teacher, Gloria Dalafu tells Nuala how her love of mistakes inspires her pupils to make their own mishaps.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sophie Powling

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.7	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts.
0:08.4	I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with leading journalists, experienced
0:12.2	pundits and the biggest sports stars.
0:14.3	Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the player's mouths.
0:19.1	But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sporting world.
0:24.8	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.4	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:37.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:40.5	Hello, I'm Neula McGovern and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4.
0:45.1	Just to say that for rights reasons, the music in the original radio broadcast has been removed
0:49.7	for this podcast.
0:51.6	Hello and welcome to Woman's Hour. Our program today is all about mistakes.
0:57.5	Today we are focusing on mistakes, those that we make and the impact that they have on our lives.
1:04.1	There are so many motivational quotes about mistakes from famous women. Here's a couple. Actress Sophia Loren,
1:10.1	she's often quoted as saying,
1:11.4	mistakes are part of the Jews, one pays for a full life.
1:15.5	And Beyonce apparently said this,
1:18.0	I'm not afraid to make mistakes.
1:19.8	I embrace mistakes.
1:22.0	Does that ring true for you?
1:24.3	Well, in the next hour, we're going to look at
	...

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