2024 is coming to an end, so I wanted to give you one last newsletter before the chaos of 2025 begins.
It’s that time of year when our brains will almost automatically look back on the past year.
What went right, what went wrong.
What we achieved, what we failed to follow up.
If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to overdo the “what went wrong” part and feel all kinds of negative emotions about those things.
We can look back with guilt at something we did or didn’t do. As I mentioned in an earlier newsletter, I am someone who has the most “Catholic guilt” although I am not religious.
A few months ago, I stumbled upon a story that I am still thinking about. Apparently there is no word in the Tibetan language that directly translates to “guilt”. The closest possible translation is something closer to “intelligent regret”.
I don’t speak Tibetan and I haven’t been able to find a Tibetan speaker to confirm this, but I think it’s a wonderful feeling that can help us as we move into 2025.
Guilt can be corrosive and unproductive. But as Dan Pink points out in his book The power of regret, looking back on the right side type regretting things that happened or didn’t happen can actually be powerful and transformative for our future.
So instead of trying to live a “no regrets” life (opposite of intelligence)…
We can intelligently apply regret to how 2024 went.
So, in honor of the upcoming year’s Oasis reunion, don’t look back in anger (still jam for all time by the way).
Instead… let’s look back with curiosity.
Look back with curiosity, not judgment.
Take some time today and look back on your year with curiosity, not judgment.
Did you achieve what they wanted to achieve? super! I bet you learned something.
Has your life gone off the rails and you’ve spent most of the year just trying to stay afloat! super! I bet you learned something! Have you repeatedly started and stopped at the goal? super! I bet you learned something!
Write these things down. Notice the emotions you feel as you look back. Write down what you learned and how it may affect future decisions or choices you make.
Maybe you’ve learned that you hate running, or that going keto was an absolute failure, or that becoming a parent for the first time has actually completely ruined your life, or that we can’t stick to a morning routine.
These are all things that happened. Now we have to decide what kind of feeling to apply to these things.
remember the past is not set in stoneand some of those setbacks or failures could be the very lesson you needed to learn for Future You. They could be the catalyst for your next step forward.
Remember, it’s NOT “I screwed up/failed, therefore I’m a lost cause…”
It’s, “I screwed up/failed and learned this lesson that I can apply until 2025.”
How will 2025 be different?
Next week we will start ours free 5 day challenge with coach Matt from the NF team.
If 2024 didn’t turn out the way you wanted or hoped, I’m sorry.
Life is strange and change is hard.
Let’s make 2025 different! After all, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always had.
If you want things to be different, let’s do it.
Nerd Fitness Rebellion will be with you all the way.
Have a nice holiday and see you next week.
-Steve
P.S: Here it is sign up again for our free 5-day challenge. Cheers!
