With only a few more days left before we enter 2022 – we wanted to know…
…do you ever find yourself living the past? In our career transition work, we see so many people who do, wondering why they are no longer working at their former place of employment. While a certain degree of retrospective analysis is healthy, we get a little concerned when the past is where someone puts all of their focus. Despite what the movie “Back to the Future” might have us believe, you really can not change history. The water that has gone under the bridge is not coming back.
Trying to determine how to relive the past is energy wasted. Period.
Make no mistake, however. We can learn a lot form our past. There are important lessons to be learned. The past makes you who you are today.
We recommend a balanced approach.
With respect to the past, one of the greatest exercises you can do is to record your past accomplishments. Past accomplishments are the best predictor we have of future success. The better handle you have on what you have done, the greater confidence you will have on what you can do.
The important thing to note is that our focus on the past is a focus on the positive – accomplishments. Accomplishments are those things that make us proud, that really stand out, that deserve that “gold star” treatment.
In our line of work, we often see clients who hold onto the past and cannot let go. They ruminate about what could have been or what might have happened “if only”. Frankly, this kind of thinking is wasted energy.
As we all enter 2022, let’s continue to self-reflect but don’t let it affect our future. In the words of Canada’s Sweetheart Anne Shirley (of Anne of Green Gables fame), “…tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet.” Let’s tackle this new year letting go of the past and embracing the future.