Ground your present through reference to the experiences of the past and the prophecies for the future.  These things can be key to helping us be successful in the present.

Things that occur in the past or we perceive as future opportunities are not a solute predictors of the present but deserve our consideration as potential influencers.

Past Outcomes equal Present Facts

The past represents facts, that is they are things that are known and can be demonstrated  as being true.  The past occurred and the outcomes are a real although interpreting what they mean can be somewhat subjective.

Predicting future events with accuracy depends depends on how much is known about the options and their potential likelihood.

Using future predictions together with analysis of past outcomes needs to be done with careful and considered analysis.  Other factors must be taken into account as well.

What has happened or prognosis for what will happen are important, even critical decision making parameters relative to ensuring the best decision but they should not be used at the expense of all else (e.g., intuition).

Repeating the Past, Ignoring the Future

Consideration of what has transpired in the past before acting in the present is obviously an important factor in avoiding the repeat of sub-optimal outcomes.

Likewise using likelihood estimations of future projections avoids performing actions in the present which will not conform with what the future will be.

Simply paying attention to what has and will happen in order to make good decisions seems like basic common sense yet surprisingly these things are often ignored.