Now we can better track how far you’ve come

When I retired from my first career as an entrepreneur, I chopped my shoulder length hair and started wearing contact lenses.

Not necessarily for fashion purposes, although my new look was definitely an upgrade, according to my wife.

My motivation was more existential. I wanted to anchor my memory by visibly marking the transition. Something tangible that made the change feel more real.

It’s like the joke by the late great absurdist comedian. Hedberg once said:

My friend showed me a photo and said, here’s a picture of me when I was younger. And I said, every picture is of you when you were younger.

He’s not wrong. The problem is, as we get older, it can become harder to mark time. The years fly by and coalesce into one consolidated memory. We see pictures of our younger self and think, holy shit, look how thin I was. When was that?

That’s why visibly marking transitions is a useful practice. When we know we’re about to step into the next chapter of our life, it’s helpful find something, anything, that will make it easier for our future self get oriented.

Especially if we’re fearful of change. Making transitions more concrete burns the ships, rips off the bandaid and kicks down the ladder. Doing so provides a sense of closure for the chapter we’re leaving, and a sense of anticipation for the one we’re entering.

These demarcations facilitate emotional processing today, and enhance memory and reflection tomorrow. Both of which reinforce our sense of self and personal narrative.

Now we can better track how far you’ve come, and feel proud of our growth.

Before you take down the shelves, take down the memories.

What tangible object, ritual or memory helps anchor your memory and orient your future self?