The Magic Checklist
Checklist
The Magic of Starting Over Checklist
Life is not a rollercoaster ride that offers many pleasurable moments. It gets unpleasant and disappointing sometimes. However, we cannot afford to get stuck in the past. When we refuse to start over, we are endangering out opportunities and can ruin our professional and interpersonal relationships. People will start avoiding you because they are tired of hearing your sad story. If you have made up your mind to turn your life around and build a masterpiece out of its ruins, this book is for you. It contains practical tips that can empower you to banish the demons of your past and look forward to your future with optimism.
Chapter 1: The Past: It’s Gone Forever
Whether you agree or not, the past is gone forever. In other words, you cannot undo what has been done. Therefore, you need to move on and give yourself the platform to start over. You can only do better when you have the chance to act again. However, you cannot go back to the day you made a mistake and change what was done. So, the earlier you realize that your past is now history, the better for you. You need to realize the following things to banish your past:
- Life is a journey, and your past is just a part of it.
- Your past is an experience that you should treat as valuable lessons for the future.
- You cannot change the past, but the future lies ahead of you.
- Depression because you keep thinking about what could have been.
- Guilt because you keep blaming yourself for the wrong outcome.
- Shame because you feel you should not have done the deed.
- Lack of focus because you can’t concentrate on the current task.
- Poor performance because you are emotionally disturbed.
- Low motivation because you don’t feel like committing to the task at hand.
- Anxiety because you are not sure of what to expect next.
- Substance abuse because you are seeking relief from your anxiety levels.
- Physical illness because you are no longer taking care of yourself.
- The past is a closed chapter
- The future is a blank page
- The past is a shadow
- The past doesn’t define you
- High self-esteem
- Prevention of depression
- Healthy relationships
- Finish strong
- Have a testimony
- Treat the past as a lesson that will help you to make better decisions in the future.
- Surround yourself with positive people that can encourage you to forget the past.
- Leverage your strengths to give yourself an edge.
- Receive more training so that you can be more effective.
- Benjamin Graham, who lost a lot of money but still went ahead to become one of the greatest investors ever.
- Oprah Winfrey, who became a self-made billionaire despite a rough background that included being impregnated at the age of 14.
- Rihanna, who grew up with an abusive father but still went ahead to become a superstar.
- Abraham Lincoln, who became one of the greatest American presidents despite failing repeatedly.
- Nicki Minaj, who became a global celebrity despite growing up with a father who almost killed her mother.
- Eminem, who didn’t grow up with a father figure and had a drug addict as a mother, but became a famous rapper.
- Tame your monkey mind
- Defeat the tendency to have self-fulfilling prophecies
- Avoid self-sabotaging behaviors by recognizing them and changing them
- Build a positive self-image
- Build your self-esteem
- Set specific and realistic goals
- Practice journaling
- Practice meditation
- Celebrate every progress