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 rewind to the past year.
What went right, what went wrong.
What we accomplished, what we failed to implement.
If you’re like me, it’s easy to overindex the “what didn’t work” part and feel all sorts of negative emotions about those things.
We might feel guilty about something we did or didn’t do. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, I am someone who has the greatest share of “Catholic guilt” even though I’m not religious.
A few months ago, I came across a story that I still think about. It seems that 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 beautiful sentiment that can help us as we approach 2025.
Guilt can be corrosive and unproductive. But as Dan Pink points out in his book The power of regret, look back with the right kind Regret for things that happened or didn’t happen can actually be powerful and transformative for our future selves.
So, rather than trying to live a life without regrets (the opposite of intelligence)…
We can intelligently apply regret to how 2024 has unfolded.
So, in honor of the Oasis group reuniting for the coming year, don’t look back in anger (still an all-time jam, btw).
Instead…let’s look back with curiosity.
Look back with curiosity, without judgment.
Take some time today and look back on your year with curiosity, not judgment.
Did you accomplish the things they wanted to accomplish? Great! I bet you learned something.
Your life has been derailed and you’ve spent most of the year trying to stay afloat! Great! I bet you learned something! Have you started, stopped and given up a goal several times? 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 can inform decisions or choices you make in the future.
Maybe you learned that you hate running, or that going Keto was an absolute failure, or that becoming a first-time parent 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 type of emotion to apply to these things.
Remember, the past is not set in stoneand some of these setbacks or failures might be the very lesson you needed to learn for Future You. They could be the catalyst for your next step.
Remember, it’s NOT “I screwed up/failed, so I’m a lost cause…”
It’s: “I made a mistake/failed and I learned this lesson that I can apply until 2025.”
How will 2025 be different?
Next week we will launch our 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 difficult.
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 make it happen.
The Nerd Fitness Rebellion will be with you every step of the way.
Have a great holiday and I’ll talk to you next week.
-Steve
PS: This is it sign up for our free 5-day challenge again. Cheers!