“If you’re always wondering, ‘What if this is the moment I regret?’ you’ll never get to: ‘This is the moment I will always remember.'”

When I was in high school, I idolized Gwyneth Paltrow (note: this was her Shakespeare in Love phase, not her Goop phase). So, of course, I loved her movie Sliding Doors.

If you’ve never seen Sliding Doors (shame on you!), here’s the synopsis straight from Wikipedia:

Helen Quilley (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets fired from her public relations job. As she leaves the office building, she drops an earring in the lift and a man picks it up for her. She rushes for her train on the London Underground and misses it. The plot then splits into two parallel universes, the other detailing what would have happened had she caught that train.

The movie then follows both possible paths of Helen’s life: the one when she caught the train, only to find her cheating boyfriend in bed with his ex-girlfriend, and the one when she misses the train (and therefore, said boyfriend’s infidelity).

I still think about this movie a lot. Not because it was anything super amazing, but because of the concept it was built upon:

What if this one little choice affects everything that comes after? What if this moment is THE one you look back on and say, “That changed everything”?

This line of thought is pretty trippy — and can pretty much trip me up both in life and in business. Because who wants that one little choice to be the WRONG choice?

For me, being afraid to make the wrong choice in the moment — to make a (gasp!) mistake — probably keeps me from doing some neat stuff. And it definitely keeps me from taking swift action in my business.

Being afraid to make a mistake is also detrimental in motherhood. It proactively puts blame on you for anything and everything that could or may or will happen in the future: your choices are the cause. You are the cause. It’s your fault.

But here’s the thing: if you’re always wondering, “What if this is a moment I will regret?” you’ll never get to: “This is a moment I will always remember.”

I’m tired of being scared of making mistakes. I’m ready for more trial and error, more action rather than reflection, and more big, bold steps.

If you’re with me, here are some great articles on learning to welcome, trust and even embrace mistakes:

Don’t Fear Failure: Nine Powerful Lessons We Can Learn From Our Mistakes

My favorite is #9: Mistakes allow us to inspire others. Because if you think about it, all those people you read and follow and revere online are the ones who have put themselves out there, tried things and made mistakes — and you’re learning from their mistakes every day.

Good Employees Make Mistakes. Great Leaders Allow Them To.

Love this perspective. As mompreneurs or solopreneurs or working moms, we need to allow ourselves AND OTHERS to make mistakes. And we should also be given that allowance by our clients or bosses or families or each other.

Why I Don’t Regret My Parenting ‘Mistakes’

“The trouble with all the advice touted by the self-proclaimed experts and the proselytization by other parents, however, is that it can feel a lot like we are tsk-tsking each other’s parenting, and it can be difficult for parents not to fall victim to the heavy weight of guilt and regret that comes along with well-intended advice. What might be a mistake to one parent is a win for another. After all, there are a million “right” ways to love and to parent.”

YASSSS. So mamas, how do you come to terms with your “mistakes”? Share your favorite advice or resources in the comments, or join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

Emily Cretella is the founder of MotherHustle.com, as well as the copywriting and content marketing firm CursiveContent.com, where she helps clients create + share stories their audiences love.

She adores being mom to her two little ladies and drinking obscene amounts of coffee from mugs with pithy sayings. Find her on Instagram, and learn more about ways you can collaborate with MotherHustle.