On a regular basis, any of us are Transforming, Reinventing, Agonizing, Shoulding and Hurrying as they re-evaluate their lives and attempt to cope with change. If they have a business, they have their business plans ready, their spreadsheets presentable (some), and are in the process of the dangerous thought pattern of “if I change things around, things will be better”. I say it’s all T.R.A.S.H.

T is for Transforming – As you look back, I’m sure you’re looking at what didn’t work, what you want to do differently, how you’re going to do that and planning when to do it. I offer you a different process. What if you were to look back over your Triumphs and Achievements so far. What did you do right? How did you do it and can you do more of it? Plan to repeat the good things that worked and outdo yourself in the future.

R is for Reinventing – Why do you need to reinvent yourself? Are you not working? No, I suggest you’re working perfectly, what needs invention (I have a problem with the definition of reinventing = inventing again, anyway), what needs tightening and tweaking and celebrate the you that allows such tweaking to take place at all!

A is for Agonizing – If it makes you happy, go ahead, analyze your spreadsheets, your reports and your summaries, but sometimes it happens that we analyze something to death and kill off any sort of joy derived from achievement and accomplishment. Agonizing over what you could have done instead is not only fruitless, but a waste of your incredibly valuable energy. As I teach in my Joys of Failure workshop, failure is a place to start, not stop and the only one who can declare whether something was a failure at all is you, right?

S is for Shoulding – Where are you telling yourself you SHOULD have done x, y, or z? How are you feeling about the path you chose at the time? Remember, you make choices as they present themselves and you choose based on the information you have at hand at the time. Hindsight is 20/20. Could have, Would have, Should have… didn’t. Move on armed with new knowledge and you won’t make the same choice again.

H is for Hurrying – As you attempt to recreate your year in one small chunk in one small month. keeping an Accomplishment Journal is a much better plan. Do that each month on the same day and summarize all the things that have happened and your reactions to them while they’re still fresh in your mind.

 

So I encourage you to toss out the T.R.A.S.H. Look at 2025 with new eyes, as a new opportunity, as a golden chance to succeed beyond your wildest dreams unhindered by the past, but informed by it. You’re a little more seasoned, a lot wiser and very capable of creating the life you want to live.

Go get ’em!