Episode 556: Why Your Brain Won't Let You Go Forward

You know chasing a past version of yourself isn't a useful strategy. You know it. And yet something keeps pulling you back there — to the body you had at 35, the energy you remember from before everything got complicated, the version of yourself that felt more capable, more together, more like herself. This episode explains exactly why that pull is so hard to resist.

I unpack what's happening in the brain when we get stuck looking backward — and why it's not a motivation problem, a discipline problem, or a character flaw. It's a neurological one. Understanding the mechanism is the first step to overriding it.

More importantly, I offer a shift that is simple but genuinely powerful: moving your focus from who you were to who you are becoming. Because your brain responds very differently to those two orientations — and once you understand that, you have something real to work with.

Want everything in one place? Join me on Substack for real talk, deeper insights, and the community you didn't know you needed — at https://courtneytownley.substack.com

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