---
id: 2026-04-15T15:59:02-0400
title: 2026-04-15 15:59:02
tags:
  - status/draft
date-created: 2026-04-15T15:59:02-04:00
daily: "[[2026-04-15]]"
---
# 2026-04-15 15:59:02

Probably the most obviously helpful convention
of [[note-taking]]/[[personal-knowledge-management]]
that I use in [[this-notebook]]
is how I journal my mistakes.

1. The **mistake**,
    the objectionable actions taken
    that lead to the problem.

2. The **problem**,
    the undesirable state resulting from the mistake
    This includes the immediate outcome
    and, if applicable, the cost of correction.

3. The **rationale**,
    the reason for the mistake.

***

The intent is that by recording this conflict
in as much detail as practical
I can determine what actions I can take
to prevent the most pain from future mistakes.

***

Rationale is the most important part of the entry.
It's not helpful to say 
If that's truly what seems to be the cause,
consider your state at the time:
Were you mentally exhausted?
If so, was it due to workload or issues at home?

"I was being stupid," and "I wasn't thinking,"
are not informative rationales.
"I will try harder," and "I will pay more attention"
are not actionable plans.

***

"Mistake" may be a misnomer,
because acceptability is not objective.
For example:
two [[conest]] senior estimators
may disagree on the acceptability of a certain [[heuristics|heuristic]].
It may still be useful to record criticism from the more stringent senior
as a mistake, even if their position is less popular.
