Study the past, if you would divine the future.

Situations rarely repeat exactly, but patterns do, and the past is the only large record of them available. People who ignore history, whether the world’s or their own, tend to be surprised by things that were entirely foreseeable. The same holds for a single life: the way you handled the last few difficult years says a great deal about how you will handle the next. None of that fixes the future, though it narrows the guessing considerably.

Before a significant decision, look back at a similar one you made before. Write down what you expected then and what actually happened. The difference is often the most useful forecast you will get.