It’s always easy to judge yesterday’s mistakes with the wisdom and understanding you have today. In truth, the mere fact that you can recognize past mistakes means that you learned what you were supposed to learn from those situations and they served their purpose.
And, after all, when you know better, you do better.
Instead of fruitlessly searching for ways to alter the past, recognize the benefit it had on your life. Failed business dealings, accumulated debt, lack of financial planning – it all can positively guide our thinking in the present moment. The only thing you have control over is what is happening in the here and now.
Beware of the power of your thoughts.
When we make mistakes, we often think mulling over them is necessary penance for whatever wrongdoing we’re guilty of. We need to feel bad in order to do better next time.
Maybe on a small scale there’s some truth to that, but ruminating in “what ifs” and “I should haves” really only perpetuates the negative thinking that positive change isn’t able to spring from.
It’s just like losing weight. If someone constantly berates you for being overweight, you’ll likely ditch the eating and exercise habits that would help you to address the problem in the first place — simply because the harsh words discourage you.
Even if the harsh thoughts and words are coming straight from you, they can very easily seep into your subconscious mind and keep you from really moving forward with a clean slate.
Find gratitude in the lessons.
Finding a way to be grateful for the struggle might seem counterintuitive at first, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to not become mired down in thoughts of “Why did things have to happen this way?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” The struggle occurred so that you could be aware – and thankful – when you experience the easier times ahead.
The tougher the growing pains the more substantial the growth. So learn to say thank you for all the bad situations that got you to where you are today.
Recognize how quickly small changes can snowball.
Sometimes we feel so overwhelmed by the size of the changes that we need to make that sticking with the status quo seems like the only viable option we have. But change is like anything in the universe, it’s made up of small parts – small decisions, habits, etc. Shifting those small things changes the shape of the larger picture.
Simply committing to change and an emptying of your financial “baggage” also creates shifts all on its own. When you have a “whatever it takes” mentality, a path is cleared – even if you don’t see it right away.
All you have to do is commit wholeheartedly to starting the process.
Know that today’s decisions are shaping your tomorrow.
The greatest power that you have always lies in the present moment. So while your current financial situation might be a mess of sorts, the situation is really just the result of yesterday’s thoughts and decisions. Today’s thoughts and decisions are molding what your tomorrow looks like – and that right there is pretty powerful stuff.
You essentially already have a clean slate today – it’s all on how you choose to exercise your power that will make your tomorrow look like your yesterday, or something else entirely.
Make a promise to yourself to let the past die.
If you’re ready to move forward with a clean financial slate, allow the past to die along with your negative thoughts and financial habits. Commit to seeing the future with a fresh perspective and it will undoubtedly be brighter than any of your yesterdays.