I work with a lot of clients with ”Negative Back-Talk" that shows up early in our relationship. It usually happens when asking a question. Their answer begins with, "Well, I used to be that way a long time ago but…” In other words, their current situation is always linked to past behavior. It's stopping them from moving forward. The fix it to use a "Pattern Interrupt" and stop the action in its tracks and re-direct the thought forward. You’ll never move backward again. Now that you have forward momentum, you can focus all of your energy on the future.