Break free from holding on to yesterday’s challenges!
Feb 07, 2024
Are you tired of holding on to the mistakes of yesterday? What went wrong? Who said what? Why did that happen?
We all fail, make mistakes and have regrets. The question is how to move on, start fresh and even to learn from them?
I remember an observation I had which really mattered to me. The night before, one of my children had been up all night and I was so exhausted. I managed to get into school but later than I wanted so less time to set up and get my head in gear. The lesson was OK, but not great and I could see that some children really struggled to access it all and achieve their best.
I was so disappointed in myself. I knew I usually had much better lessons than that. Why was it this one that went so wrong? Wrong resources available, class playing up more than usual, things like that.
This happens, doesn’t it? I knew it wasn’t good enough and I was absolutely dreading the feedback and the implications. While I waited, the catastrophizing in my mind was incredibly creative- from losing my job, to being publicly humiliated! Amazing where our minds take us when anxious, isn’t it?
Of course, the feedback wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought, and I just had another observation the following week. Note to self- don’t worry about things before they happen!
The bigger lesson, is for those of us who are perfectionists, like to feel in control and who are very conscientious, we need another approach! Actually, we all do!
Try changing your language. Instead of :
WHY DID THAT GO SO WRONG? To WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE BETTER?
This immediately puts us in a place where we are growing, learning and our mindset shifts.
Yesterday's disasters do not define your future. Embrace the lessons, release the regrets, and step into the limitless possibilities of today. Unknown
ACTION: What regrets or feelings of having failed at something over the last few days are sticking with you? Can you change them round and ask yourself WHAT you could have done differently? What could you have changed?
You may need to ask to talk to someone to help with this, or access some training or simply to let go, but these are all elements that show yourself that you are growing, learning and prioritising yourself!