Have you ever walked into a room with a purpose only to forget what that purpose was when you entered the room We’ve all had it happen. University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor, Gabriel Radvansky, has discovered the reasonwhy it occurs.

It’s called an “event boundary.” The doorway you walk through acts as a mental trigger to separate the thoughts you had in the previous room. It causes your mind to compartmentalize those thoughts making it difficult to remember why you entered the next room.

Understanding why things happen the way they do can help you to break through beliefs that are holding you back. For instance, think back to a time when you forgot why you entered a room. Did you jump to a negative assumption about yourself? Perhaps you said, “I’m so forgetful.” Maybe you told yourself, “I’m getting old!”

Those kinds of thoughts are non-physical trappings that keep you stuck and struggling. Yet, now you know those thoughts were not true. It wasn’t you that caused your mind to forget, it was the doorway! With the awareness of the truth, it becomes easier to drop the negative assumptions about yourself.

It’s time to free yourself from thoughts and belief systems that are holding you back from living your best and happiest life. The next time you forget why you entered a room, be thankful for the mental blank slate the doorway has created; and, remember–what gets written on that slate next is up to you.