Have you ever found yourself getting upset about something that happened in your past and you just can’t get over that it happened? You keep beating yourself up over a decision that you made, and you're frustrated with the result? How can you move on from your mistakes without feeling so bad about it?
Of course, no one is perfect, but it helps to be able to have a few tips in mind when you become bothered or haunted of past decisions that you know are not sitting well with you. Think about the following steps to help you move forward from past mistakes:
1. Identify and assess regrets. It involves thinking about the situation and reviewing different actions that took place. Was it something out of your control? Did you do something or did someone else take part in that made the situation more difficult?
2. Forgive yourself! Making amends may not make the situation go away, but it is a sign that you acknowledge the fact and that you can grow while moving forward. In some cases, you may have to ask for forgiveness of another if the situation involved other people.
3. Accept it! It may take some time for you to accept the situation but it doesn’t mean you are okay that it happened. It is a part of life to accept things as they happen and be responsible in the future.
4. Evaluate your relationships. People who you often hang with can influence your choices, and some people don’t realize how true this is. Consider making changes to your inner circle and who you socialize with.
5. Give yourself credit for what you have learned. Some often get caught up in what they did but as time moves on most have been able to turn a negative into a positive. Maybe you were able to influence another into making better decisions for themselves.
6. Create a plan or have steps to refer to when you feel like this again in the future.
You can write about it, talk about it and just keep in mind that we have all made mistakes! It’s best to leave it behind you and focus on a new day before you. Remember that mistakes are good teachers and they don’t define who you are as an individual. You have time to make changes and make the progress that you want to achieve for yourself.