Don’t look back angrily

2024 is coming to an end, so I wanted to send you one last newsletter before the chaos of 2025 begins.

It’s that time of year when our brains almost automatically look back on the past year.

What is right and what is wrong.

What we accomplished and what we failed to accomplish.

If you’re like me, it’s easy to get overly focused on the “what went wrong” part and feel all sorts of negative emotions surrounding these things.

We may feel guilty when we look back on things we have done or failed to do in the past. As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, I am an owner of NumberThe Most “Catholic Sins”Number Even though I’m not religious.

I stumbled across a story a few months ago that I’m still thinking about. It is said that there is no word in Tibetan that can be literally translated as “sin”. The closest translation might be closer to “wise regret.”

I don’t speak Tibetan and can’t find anyone who speaks Tibetan to confirm this, but I think it’s a beautiful sentiment that can help us as we move into 2025.

Guilt can be corrosive and unproductive. But as Dan Pink points out in his book Numberthe power of regretNumber, look right backward type Regret over things that did or didn’t happen can actually be powerful and transformative for our future selves.

So, instead of trying to live a “no regrets” life (contrary to wisdom)…

We can wisely regret the passing of 2024.

So, in honor of Oasis’ reunion next year, NumberDon’t look back angrilyNumber (Still an unprecedented jam, by the way).

On the contrary… let us look back curiously.

Look back with curiosity rather than judgment.

Take some time today to reflect on this year NumberCuriosity, not judgmentNumber.

Did you accomplish what they wanted to accomplish? Great! I bet you learned something.

Is your life off the rails and you spend most of the year trying to make ends meet! Great! I bet you learned something! Do you repeatedly start, stop, and give up on a goal? Great! I bet you learned something!

Write these things down. Notice the emotions you feel when you look back on the past. Write down what you learned and how it can inform future decisions or choices you make.

Maybe you learned that you hate running, or that going keto is an absolute fail, or that becoming a first-time parent really completely disrupts your life, or that we can’t stick to a morning routine.

These are all things that happened. Now we have to decide what emotions to apply to these things.

remember, NumberThe past is not staticNumbersome of these setbacks or failures may be just the lessons you need to learn for your future self. They can be the catalyst for your next step forward.

Remember, it’s not “I messed up/failed, therefore I’m doomed…”

It’s, “I messed up/failed and learned this lesson and I can apply it in 2025.”

How will 2025 be different?

Next week we will start our Number5 days free challengeNumber Along with coach Matt from Team NF.

I’m sorry if 2024 doesn’t turn out the way you hoped or hoped it would.

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 us make it happen.

Nerd Fitness Rebellion will be with you every step of the way.

Have a nice holiday and I’ll talk to you next week.

-Steve

Attached: That’s it NumberSign up again for our free 5-day challengeNumber. cheers!