The start of a New Year is usually a time we look ahead at things we want to achieve. This year is particularly significant because it is also the start of a new decade.

But studies show that 92% of us fail to achieve our New Year’s resolutions, and I believe it is because we are going about it all wrong.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul talks about an important key to achieving future goals in life:

“I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13

First understand it is a process. Success won’t happen immediately. Paul was considered by many to be the greatest apostle of the early church, yet despite all he achieved, Paul said that he hadn’t fully attained everything God had for him.

We are on a journey. There will be good days and bad.

Secondly, Paul says the key to achieving our future goals is by forgetting the past. This includes forgetting our negative experiences and failures and, if need be, forgiving people.

Paul was fully aware of the things that had not worked for him and used these experiences to learn from them and move forward.

Paul’s past was also littered with some very bad experiences. He had persecuted the church, imprisoned believers, and we know he played a key role in the murder of Stephen.

In order to achieve his future goals, Paul needed to forgive himself and forget his past. The same applies to all of us. If you want to fulfill God’s future purpose in your life, you must first deal with your past.

According to psychotherapist Terri Cole, the first pillar or step to change is awareness of what is not helping you move forward, then making the necessary changes to fulfilling your path in life.

In other words, the first step to a successful new year is not setting more new goals, but rather reflecting on the past year or decade and purposefully removing those things that didn’t work. We may need to forgive and forget those people and events that are still holding you hostage to feelings of bitterness and anger.

Are there areas in your life where you need to heal? Are there people you need to distance yourself from? Have you fully forgiven yourself?

What changes do you need to initiate to ensure that you will be able to step forward and not trip over past habits and experiences that no longer serve you? It’s never too late to start again!

Put a stake in the ground and make your claim for the future, by dealing with the past! And, when old negative habits, patterns and experiences begin to show up, unhook and release yourself from them one by one.

If you want to set a New Year’s goal, make it this “forgetting the past.” Instead of writing out New Year’s resolutions write out the things you want to forget.

Then set positive intentions and affirmations that will you keep moving ahead, even if we get snagged by old habits and patterns in our lives.

I AM HEALING.

I FORGIVE.

I AM FREE and I WILL KEEP WORKING ON IT!