In one of his recent weekly newsletters, Atomics Habits author James Clear included this advice:

You can't change your past, but you can reframe it.

Find the lesson in it. Find the opportunity in it. Pull the teachable moment out of it and share with others.

You can't choose your history, but you can choose the story you tell about it.

As I read that quote tonight, I thought of the many health-related decisions I've made over my lifetime, particularly in the last four years. Some have worked out well; others, not so much. But I made the best decisions I could based on the information I had at the time. I advocated for myself. I chose options that would reduce my risk.

And—as Clear advises—I shared my history, in real time, for the benefit of myself and others. Indeed, as recently as this afternoon, a friend wrote to say that she would request a particular diagnostic test after reading about my own experience.

With the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, I can look back at past choices and beat myself up for the ones that didn't pan out. But I think it's better to recognize that I did the best I could with what I had at the time. I can't change my past, but I can tell a story of someone who is doing everything she can to persevere.

Clear's counsel is broadly applicable. Even when you fail to reach your goal, you can take the lessons from the failure and use them in the future. You can recognize the gains you made even if you fell short of your primary objective. And you can take pride in the values you embraced in the pursuit of your goal—values that have stood the test of time and will continue to guide your actions.