Mistakes can haunt us. Should we have said yes to that job? Or maybe you did say yes and you’re now wondering if we should have said no.
In moments of frustration or resentment we often look for something to blame and our past decisions are an easy target. For many people, remembering one ‘bad’ decision will lead to torture yourself by following that trail of thought back to other dubious decisions.
Or worse, you might be lead into blaming someone else for where you are now - there’s nothing more disempowering than believing things happen 'to' us vs. living an intentional, created life.
The reality is that people and jobs will come and go in the movie of our life. Some have big roles, others are just briefly passing through - but they’re all necessary or they wouldn’t have been there.
None of what has happened in the past is driving our future. I heard evidence of this in a great analogy from Wayne Dyer; he points out that the wake created as a boat moves through water is not driving the boat in any way, it’s just a result of the boat moving. So "the wake of your life is nothing more than a trail that’s left behind you". And crucially "the wake is not in any logical way responsible for what you’re experiencing or failing to experience today."
Our past is just the past - it doesn’t tell us what you’re capable of, what your potential is, how great a leader you can be. Mindfulness teaches us that obsessing about looking backwards is just another way to miss out on the present moment; and it’s the present moment where change is created. In the present moment you can be anything. All possibilities exist.
So my message to you is to slow down and get creative in the present. Do what you need to do to transform, forgive yourself, and move on from any niggles in your career history. You’re just a human having a human experience. Learn, grow and know that what you want is possible for you, or your mind wouldn’t have thought of it.
P.S. Time to let go of that career decision you made 5 years ago that still occasionally haunts you. It isn't a predictor of future outcomes, it's just the past. Your next good decision is moments away.
P.P.S In Q4 I have 2x 1-1 coaching spaces available for leaders who are either looking to create change in their business (restructure/ product launch/ transformation agenda) or move roles. If you're a change maker I'd love to hear from you.