How to stop being hung up on the past

Do you know those people who spend the rest of their lives miserably regretting something from their past? Some even resort to some form of addiction like alcohol, drugs, etc. It can stem from a simple mistake from their past or the regrets of either not doing something or shouldn’t have done something.

For example, I know someone who didn’t get into the university they wanted to as a student. They spent years and years of their life focused on that one single aspect. As a result, this person spent their 20s, 30s, and 40s being miserable and never getting over the fact that they didn’t achieve a goal they had back then.

People like this tend to ruin what’s remaining of their life living in the past and never moving forward. And I’m afraid I think I’m becoming one of them. I don’t want to live in the past. I don’t want to keep going back to my regrets. I don’t want to keep reminiscing what should’ve or what shouldn’t have happened. I want to live life. I want to be alive in the here and now. I want to look forward to what my future holds. But how? I’m still in my 20s. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in misery and add those wasted years to my long list of regrets.