Jack Speer is a Career and Life Coach in Austin, Texas. He believes that life, like baseball, depends on the way you swing the bat.
I want to talk about how our old thoughts and memories become traps to managing our lives today.
We have too much old stuff in our heads.
We have a huge brain capacity—but it’s only so big—not big enough both for our brilliant ideas and the negative b-grade movies about the past we play inside in our heads—same old plot, same old actors.
If we can free up our minds for today we can achieve our dreams and avoid the pitfalls. If Henry Ford had sat around, torn up about the fact that his daddy never wanted him to leave the farm, there would’t be cars and we’d all still be riding horses today.
We’re told that 25% of Americans take a prescription ant-depressants. I am not against anything our friends from medical science can give us that will help Yet here are some practical ways that I have learned to manage my mind that have made me a better professional, partner, and friend.
Let’s begin at the beginning with some of the basics.
- I begin my day understanding I’m the best “up to date” me yet. I’ve evolved in the last 24 hour and I’m truly not the same guy I was yesterday. Sure we all have a bit of “fallen angel” in us, but I’ll bet you see yourself as I do, a more brighter, competent person than you were last year, or the year before.
- I take full responsibility for today, but yesterday is history—I will not accept guilt, shame or regret for things long past. If I bought something on credit, I’m obligated to pay for it. If I created a mess, I’ll clean it up. But feeling guilty, shamed, embarrassed or regretful about something I did long go makes no sense to me. If I faced the situation today I’d face it with the tools and learning I have now.
- I’ll unleash my mental energy by creating a “today-mission.” Once I free up my brain capacity that was filled with my past mistakes and misconceptions, I can go beyond the traditional to-do list to create a clear purpose for today. —what is my mission, the thing that will leave me on a totally better footing tomorrow? By archiving my past history under an old sub-directory, I can deal effectively with today.
If for no other reason, do it for your heath. There is emerging medical evidence that it is old regrets and inability to deal with today that breaks down our health, not to mention illness that drains our financial resources and and keeps us from enjoying life.
