Do you remember the things “you used” to be able to do?
What about the things you “used to” have?
This applies to your finances, but it also applies to almost every other area of your life.
So let’s get to the point.
Stop talking about the past and start living in today. How often do we hear things like this:
- “I used to run 5 miles everyday”
- “I used to be a lot stronger”
- “I used to get up at 5am everyday”
- “I used to be more productive”
- “I used to actually do things instead of just talking about the things I used to do”
Okay, maybe you don’t hear the last one very much, but isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?
Alanis Morissette references aside, here is my point…
“Used to” is a dangerous phrase. Even if someone is good at something, they will tell you how they “used to” be even better at it.
It’s robbing us of our responsibility to act now.
Stop It, Just Stop It
I invite you to stop using the phrase “used to” as an excuse for not doing something now. Once you get closer to where you want to be in more areas of your life, you can start saying that you DO instead of you “used to”.
It’s important to understand the real value of doing and acting NOW.
Eliminating used to will force you to do.
[color-box]When you say you used to do something well or better, you feel like you are off the hook, but nobody cares about what you used to do, they care about what you DO. [/color-box]Release the Endorphins
It’s no secret that studies have shown the release of endorphins during physical exercise, accomplishing goals and just plain getting stuff done.
Accomplishment is habit forming. The more goals you accomplish, the more driven you are to keep crushing the rest of your goals. Doesn’t it feel better to talk about what you do and what you recently accomplished instead of what you accomplished 5 or 10 years ago?
You won’t get endorphins today from the things you did when you were in high school (unless, of course, you are still in high school).
So release those endorphins and start forming habits of accomplishment.
Apply This Now
Stop saying that you “used to” do things and start talking about what you do. Pay attention to what you are saying in general conversation and see how much you notice yourself talking about past accomplishments instead of what you are doing now. It’s not always bad to reminisce, but you shouldn’t be living in the reminiscence.
When you catch yourself using the dreaded “used to” phrase, change the direction of the conversation to now. Today.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia, U.S. National Archives, U.S. Archives