This past week, I made a mistake.

Tax day came, and I wasn’t ready for it.

My accountant told me money would be drawn from a specific account. I didn’t have the funds there. I rushed to submit the wire transfer, but it was already past the 4 PM bank deadline. By some miracle it still went through. Crisis averted, barely.

I literally typed “I’m dumb” in the email to my accountant, even though I know I shouldn’t think like that (positive self-talk and all…)

Then I did what most people do after a mistake: I told myself I’d do better next year. That’s when Jade asked me a question that stopped me cold:

“What are you going to do differently so it doesn’t happen again?”

I hadn’t really thought that out. I just had a vague hope that next-year-Ben would be more organized. As if future-me would be less busy. As if he’d have more energy.

He won’t be. He’ll be just as busy, probably more so.

This experience reminded me of a practice I used to keep and somewhere along the way let slip: a Lessons Learned Journal.

I spent 15 minutes that day bringing it back to life.

Next year, I’ll save hours of stress. Those hours go into a new project or a calmer evening.

Today, I’ll show you how to use a Lessons Learned Journal to turn any error into an investment.

SUPERHUMAN SCORING

In every edition of System Sunday, I assess the featured system across three superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, and maintenance.

Unlike your typical review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.

Impact (10.0/10)

We all make mistakes. That’s part of being human.

We usually make the best decisions we can with the information and systems we currently have. When something goes wrong, it’s often a design gap. And design gaps can be fixed.

The problem is what happens emotionally in the aftermath. Sometimes we call ourselves dumb. Sometimes we carry the weight of it for days. Or we swing the other direction, brush it off, tell ourselves we’ll do better, and change nothing.

A Lessons Learned Journal offers a third path.

Rather than beating yourself up or ignoring it, you have a non-emotional conversation with yourself. What happened? Why did it happen? What system could prevent it?

That shift from emotional to intentional is where the relief lives.

There’s something deeply calming about converting a mistake into a better system. The anxiety you feel after a mistake often signals that something is unresolved.

The journal resolves it. You’re no longer carrying a vague sense of needing to do better. You have a specific plan.

Some of history’s best operators have understood this. The U.S. military runs After Action Reviews after every mission to ask: What can we do differently next time? The same approach has made its way into many Fortune 500 companies.

You deserve the same system for your own life.

Setup (8.5/10)

Step 1: Keep a running log.

Create a simple document in Apple Notes, Evernote, or a physical journal—whatever you’ll actually use. Title it “Lessons Learned.” Every time something goes sideways, you make an entry.

Step 2: Use a 3-part entry format.

Each entry answers three questions:

• What happened? (Just the facts. No editorializing.)
• Why did it happen? (Look for system gaps, not personal failings.)
• What’s the fix? (A specific, actionable change you can make.)

Step 3: Implement the fix immediately.

Spend the next 10-15 minutes actually making the change, whether that’s setting a calendar reminder or updating a process. The journal entry earns its keep when it produces a new system.

Here’s what my tax entry looked like:

What happened? Funds weren’t in the correct account on tax day. Almost missed the payment deadline.

Why did it happen? No system to prepare and move funds ahead of quarterly deadlines. Relied on memory and assumed I’d figure it out closer to the date.

What’s the fix? Build a quarterly tax calendar with two reminders per deadline: one to move the funds into the right account and one to ensure the payment is made.

15 minutes of improving the system. Hours saved every year going forward.

Maintenance (7.5/10)

The Lessons Learned Journal only works if you return to it.

Two moves keep it alive:

After any mistake, open the journal first. Before you vent to someone or spiral, write it down. Even one sentence gets it out of your head and onto the page, which helps close the loop.

Monthly review, 10 minutes. Look for patterns. Similar situations, recurring gaps. Maybe you forgot a friend’s birthday and fixed it with calendar reminders for the most important people in your life. In your monthly review, you don’t wait to forget other key dates like an anniversary. You can add it then.

BRINGING IT HOME

I won’t always have someone like Jade there to ask me the right question. Neither will you. We have to learn to ask it ourselves.

You’re just running a system that hasn’t been updated yet. The next time you make a mistake, take 10 minutes. Write it down. Answer the three questions. Make the fix.

Then notice how life gets calmer when errors become investments.

All systems go,

Ben Meer

Founder of System Sunday

P.S. I’m hosting a free live masterclass with Jade on May 5th. It’s all about building your personal brand on LinkedIn.

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