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 went right, what went wrong.
What we have achieved, what we have not been able to achieve.
If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to overthink the “what went wrong” part and feel all kinds of negative emotions about it.
We may look back with guilt on something we did or did not do. As I said in a previous newsletter, I am someone who has that most “Catholic guilt” even though I’m not religious.
A few months ago I came across a story that I still think about. Supposedly, there is no word in the Tibetan language that directly translates to “debt.” The closest possible translation is something closer to “intelligent regret.”
I don’t speak Tibetan and I haven’t been able to track down a Tibetan speaker who can confirm this, but I think it’s a wonderful sentiment that can help us as we move into 2025.
Guilt can be corrosive and unproductive. But as Dan Pink notes in his book The power of regret, looking back with the right friendly regrets about things that did or did not happen can actually be powerful and transformative for our future selves.
So, instead of trying to live a life without ‘joy’ (the opposite of intelligence)…
We can intelligently apply regret to how 2024 went.
So, in honor of the band Oasis reuniting for the coming year, don’t look back angrily (still an all-time jam btw).
Instead, let’s look back with curiosity.
Look back with curiosity, not judgment.
Take a moment today and look back on your year with curiosity, no judgment.
Did you achieve the things they wanted to achieve? Great! I bet you learned something.
Your life has gone off the rails and you’ve spent most of the year trying to keep your head above water! Great! I bet you learned something! Did you repeatedly start and stop and score a goal? Great! I bet you learned something!
Write these things down. Notice the emotions you feel when you look back. Write down what you learned and how it might influence future decisions or choices you make.
Maybe you learned that you hate running, or that going Keto was an absolute failure, or that becoming a first-time parent completely messed up 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 emotion to apply to those things.
To remind, the past is not set in stoneand some of these setbacks or failures may be exactly the lesson you needed to learn for Future You. They can be the catalyst for your next step forward.
Remember, it is NOT, “I messed up/failed, therefore I’m a lost cause…”
It is: “I messed up/failed, and learned this lesson that I can apply heading into 2025.”
How will 2025 be different?
We’ll start next week free 5 day challenge with coach Matt from Team NF.
If 2024 didn’t turn out the way you wanted or hoped, I’m sorry.
Life is weird 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 gotten.
If you want things to be different, let’s make that happen.
The Nerd Fitness Rebellion will be with you all the time.
Have a nice holiday and I’ll talk to you next week.
-Steve
PS: Here it is Sign up one more time for our free 5-day challenge. Cheers!