Mistakes are inevitable. To work past them, start early on your assignments and, unless you are really enjoying what you are doing, keep your working sessions short. When you take breaks, your diffused mode is working away in the background. You get to learn while taking it easy. When you relax and think of nothing in particular, your brain naturally enters a default mode (DMN - default mode network-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4142807/) that is a form of diffuse thinking. Sleep is probably the most effective and important factor in allowing your diffuse mode to tackle a difficult problem. But just using your diffuse mode doesn't mean you can lollygag around and expect to get anywhere. As the days and weeks pass, it is the distributed practice--the back and forth between the focused-mode attention and diffuse-mode relaxation--tahat does the trick.
Barbara Oakley, “A Mind For Numbers”
Focused Mode - You enter this mode when you are trying to solve problems that require your full attention. We only have so much mental energy or will power for this type of thinking. The longer you spend in focused mode, the more mental resources you use. It is like a concentrated, extended set of mental weight lifting. Constantly lifting weight won’t make your muscles any bigger---your muscles need time to rest and grow before you use them again. Taking time off between weight sessions helps build strong muscles in the long run. Consistency over time is key!
Diffused Mode - General diffused-mode activators:
Listen to music, especially without words
Go for a drive ( or tag along for the rise)
Play songs you know well on a musical instrument
Sleep (the ultimate diffused mode)