How’s your memory? It’s probably not as reliable as you believe it to be. That’s not because there’s anything wrong with you but because you’re human, and our memories are fallible. They’re not just unreliable but are also colored by how we feel about both events in the past and events in the present.
That means that if you think of yourself as a generally unlucky person, you probably focus on the times in your past when you were unlucky, and the converse is true as well. The good news is that you can change your actions right now in a way that positively affects your future, and what you’ll usually find is that you’ll start telling yourself a more positive narrative about your past as well. In addition, there’s a chance you wouldn’t have worked so hard for your future if not for those past setbacks.
Stories About Money
Do you tell yourself you’re bad with finances, or unlucky when it comes to money? You can change that by cleaning up your spending habits, making a budget, starting to pay down your debt and finally beginning to invest. This can seem like a lot but take it one step at a time. Many people have been where you are and come out wealthy on the other side. Start by just tracking your spending for a few months. From this, you can make a budget and figure out whether you need to spend less, make more, or both.
You can start small with investing as well, putting away a little bit in a retirement account or opening a brokerage account with a small deposit. Later, though, you should think bigger. Real estate can be a great long-term investment if you do your research, which means finding out more about the neighborhood, future development plans, past growth, as well as the capitalization rate, a common measure of investment potential. You can review a guide about what this is and how you can calculate it to make a smart investment decision.
Stories About Your Career
Do you tell yourself that you’re in the wrong career, that you cannot achieve a positive mindset in this role, and that you aren’t good enough to advance in your career or that you should want a career when all you really want is something that’s not too stressful that lets you pay the bills and pursue your hobbies? For the first dilemma, see a career counselor or do some reading about choosing a career and find something better suited to you. For the second, work on upgrading your skills, and let your supervisors know you’re ready for promotion. Change companies if you must. For the third, be at peace with what you want. You don’t have to pursue a high-powered career to live a worthwhile life.
Stories About Relationships
Everyone struggles with at least one relationship in their life whether it’s with a friend, a family member or someone they’re romantically involved with. But if you look over your relationships and see a pattern in which you’re the common denominator, it might be time to make a change. This won’t happen overnight or without setbacks, but it can be done. A counselor or even just talking with a friend or writing in a journal can sometimes help you get to the root of what is causing this.
