The Art Of Moving Forward: 8 Simple Habits Of People Who Refuse To Live In The Past
People who don't let their mistakes define them have these eight reasons for doing so.
LOOK | Canva We all make mistakes, but it's important to learn how to move on from them. Living in the past and ruminating on guilt will get you nowhere. We must learn how to move on and move forward afterward. We are here to make mistakes so we can learn life lessons and grow.
Mistakes are a very important part of our growth. Every mistake helps us to learn and experience ourselves better. We have all made every mistake there is to make in our many lives. Without mistakes and setbacks, we could never fully learn. So, appreciate every mistake for the growth you get from it. If you want to leave that mistake in the past, moving on is the key.
Here are 8 simple habits of people who refuse to live in the past:
1. They forgive themselves
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This is very important. If you don't forgive yourself, moving forward is impossible. If you can't move forward, you will be stuck and more likely to make more mistakes. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Holding onto past mistakes can lead to stress, depression, and anxiety, while forgiving yourself allows you to accept your imperfections and reframe your relationship with your history. Research stresses that forgiving yourself is an act of self-compassion that acknowledges you are human and imperfect, which opens up space for personal growth.
2. They learn from their mistakes
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There is a lesson in every mistake. If you don't look deep and find that lesson, it's guaranteed to be repeated in your life again and again until you do. Each time, the lesson will get stronger, which means it's harder on you. Save yourself the trouble and start to look for the lesson the first time.
They don't just feel bad about what happened; they actively mine the experience for wisdom. Once they understand the lesson, they create practical strategies to avoid the same pitfall. Research shows that the key is that they transform their pain into a roadmap for better choices, turning what could be a source of shame into a tool for growth.
3. They don't stay stuck ruminating over guilt
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Guilt only causes you to attract more situations of guilt and holds you back. Know there are limitless opportunities for us and that one mistake doesn't mean we lose out on everything in the future.
Rumination can feel like problem-solving, but it is actually a repetitive, negative thought cycle that keeps you stuck in the past instead of allowing you to find solutions for the future. Research links rumination to emotional distress and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
4. They make changes
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If we do the same things, we will always get the same results. Make changes to create a better situation for yourself going forward. Use that mistake to propel you into creating better circumstances for yourself.
Accepting people and situations as they are is a critical first step in letting go, one study argues. Being present in the moment through practices like meditation, deep breathing, or journaling can help manage anxiety about the future and regret about the past, allowing for clearer, calmer emotional navigation.
5. They focus on what they want going forward
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Not on what they think they messed up in the past. Focusing on the past causes depression. Focus on right now and what actions you can take to make things better. That mistake is done and over, so only focus on what you can control right now and going forward.
Shifting your focus to the future acknowledges your ability to make choices and create change. While you can't change the past, you have the power to shape your future. Research recommends actively defining what you want to achieve in the future to give your mind something constructive to focus on.
6. They listen to their gut
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Before you made that mistake, did you have a feeling in your gut? A lot of mistakes are made because people don't listen to their gut. If you look back, you can see that before you made mistakes, you had that gut feeling first, but you ignored it or didn't trust it.
Research has shown that true intuition often encourages positive, growth-oriented actions. On the other hand, trauma responses are often focused on avoidance and withdrawal, pushing you away from opportunities out of fear. The process of distinguishing intuition from trauma responses is a slow one.
Healing requires patience and kindness towards yourself. The more you listen to your gut, the stronger it becomes and the better you can recognize it. So, moving forward, really start paying attention to that so that in the future it is clear and you listen to that warning.
7. They know that no mistake is too big to move forward from
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Even those who have made the worst mistakes there are can move forward in some way. Don't beat yourself up. There are people in prison for murder who have turned their lives around and have given back and made profound differences in others' lives, all from a prison cell.
There is always a way to move forward and do better from here on out. Let that mistake be a catalyst for great things, not something that stops you from moving forward. The most important thing is that you make the most of it going forward.
8. They don't let their mistakes define them
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Let it refine you, instead. Take it as a blessing that you now know it was a mistake and you won't make that mistake again. This gratitude isn't forced positivity; one article from Florida International University explained that it's a practical recognition that every mistake contains valuable information. Every mistake becomes proof of their courage to try, not evidence of their inadequacy.
Now, start focusing on what you can do from here forward. Letting a mistake stop you from moving forward is just another mistake. Focus on the great changes you can make and keep going forward with what you have learned.
Kristine Carlson is a psychic medium, advanced soul-realignment practitioner, life coach, and author.
