Look in the Windshield, Not the Rearview Mirror.

The first piece of advice I have for 2023 is to look in the windshield, not the rearview mirror. Steve Harvey inspired this message with an analogy he used stating: “you cannot drive your car looking in the rearview mirror.” His analogy is an important one and is something I think translates well as we head into the new year.

A rearview mirror is designed so we can look in it to see what’s behind us. It is used for the driver to glance up every once in a while and see what you’ve passed and if it is safe to switch lanes. The rearview mirror is small.

The windshield on the other hand allows you to see what’s ahead. It is used for the driver to see the path they are on and what lies in front of them until they reach their destination. The windshield is quite large in comparison with the rear view mirror.

The windshield is so big because it displays where you’re going – it’s your future. The rearview mirror is so small because it’s where you’ve been – it’s your past. You cannot drive your car by looking in the rearview mirror. You cannot continue to focus on the past and get caught up in what you’ve done. That only leads to you tripping over your past mistakes and crashing. You have to drive your car and live your life looking in the windshield, looking at what lies ahead.

Where you are headed is way more important than where you’ve been. Yes of course we all have to check our rear view mirror occasionally. We have to glance back on the past and make sure we’ve passed certain things and that nothing is coming back up on us. But what truly matters is that our focus is on the future. We need to live our lives looking ahead and following the path we want for ourselves. Your past may have contributed to who you are, but your future is all about who you’re becoming. Your past may have influenced you, but it does not define you. Your past is exactly that, the past. Learn from it, but leave it there.

Your present and your future are the only things you should be focused on. When you’re driving a car, you shouldn’t be concerned with what lies 2000 miles ahead. You should only be focused on the road you are currently on and reaching your destination. The same goes for life in general. We need to live in the present each day and focus on our goals for that day, which culminate to build our future. We can’t worry about the stress of next week or next month or next year. We need to focus on what lies ahead of us today and continue to build the future we want for ourselves.

In 2023, I hope you keep your eyes looking through the windshield. I hope you glance at your past, but never spend too much time worrying or stressing about it or living in it. Focusing on the present and the near future, on your path to your destination, that is what matters. Look in the windshield, not in the rearview mirror.