Why is it important to stay in the present and not look back?
Last week, I posted about stress in the middle of family time and one of the things I mentioned was about the memories from the past, and the no-good it brings.
Sure, while it’s fun to reminisce and all because good memories are always to treasure, you must remember to stay in those good memories and refrain from remembering the bad, and NEVER the “what ifs”. NEVER REGRET.
Why am I saying this?
MAJOR TURNING POINTS IN LIFE
When you are at a turning point in life – like the New Year celebration coming up every year – you always want to look back to see how it was before.
This does not only apply to New Year. It also works for any changes like changing schools, changing work, changing relationships, changing homes, or just about any turning point in life. You always want to look back and see what happened..
That is not a good practice, as this is where comparisons are done… This is where what-ifs are done.
REFLECT ON THE PRESENT AND NOT ON THE PAST
What we really need is to reflect on the present so we can make use of it to plan our future and be happy and successful.
“But I look in the past to use it as an inspiration that if that didn’t happen I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”
That is great!
However, generally, not everyone can do that as our brains are naturally wired for the negatives, set to focus on them to avoid dangers, like a survival instinct – to see the enemy before they see you.
Remember my post about surviving in savannah 200000ish years ago and how our biology didn’t change much but only the world? That’s it.
LESSONS, NOT EMOTIONS
So for looking back, thoughts must be controlled with all of the willpower that you have. Always remember to only get the lessons, but never get back on the emotions.
Once you have the lessons, use them in the now, and you can also start to look forward. What do you want? And although it’s not always obvious what we want, we still can as we always have a vague idea of what it could be.
What only stops most people is the fear – fear of the unknown, fear of failure.
The uncertainty is always huge so fear shows up in all its glory, but as most risk-takers have said, “You really wouldn’t know unless you try”. right?
GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Getting out of your comfort zone is where you grow, and the trick to get by your thoughts is always to stay in the now.
Be in this moment right here, as both the past and the future are just thoughts in your mind.
You cannot get back to the past, and the future has not yet happened – enjoy the process and see where it will take you.
There is no shortcut to success. Behind it is multiple times of failure, it’s just a matter of letting it win over you or trying again.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
The key is…
TO HAVE A GOAL AND TO WORK ON IT EVERY DAY.
Once you have a goal, once you’ve found your purpose and your practice working on them every day…
They will become habits that you do not mind doing every day and one day, you’ll just be shocked that from the bottom you’ve now reached the top!
Set a goal outside of your comfort zone and watch yourself slowly grow…
BABY STEPS MATTER
And if your goal seems hard to achieve, remember that BABY STEPS MATTER. If you are patient and consistently work on your goal and just enjoy the process, you’ll be there without you even realizing it.
You can start with 5 first action points, and the rest will show up as you go along.
When something is into your subconscious already, your mind makes you act on it.
So, keep it at this base – TODAY – and take small steps.
To your success and keep smiling,
