You ever meet someone who carries a ton of baggage from their past? Old relationships, mistakes, drama? It's like they have all this extra weight and it pushes them down so they can't get out from under it. Maybe you know someone like that, or maybe you've been someone like that.

It can ruin your life, and it can also ruin your fantasy season.

I'm not saying that your fantasy fortunes are as important as your mental well-being. But you're probably happier when your teams are doing well, and your wallet probably likes it, too. So why not apply lessons that work in the real world to your fantasy season? The best thing you can do in July is let last year go, both the good and the bad.

Maybe you drafted Devonta Freeman, or you struggled while Gurley struggled. Maybe you started the wrong player and it cost you a wild-card berth, or your guys came up short when you needed them in the playoffs. Maybe you were out of it so early, you've been thinking about 2019 for eight months. Whatever it is, it's time to let it go.

Look, we all make bad decisions. Last season I benched a defense to preserve a victory (I was worried about negative points, which happens in that league). So of course there was a late-week scoring change, the win turned into a tie and the tie turned into a loss when bench points were calculated. I cost myself an easy win.

But I'm letting it go. Sure, we learn from our mistakes, and I'll probably be a little more aggressive in the future when nursing a small lead. But I'm not going to dwell on what that loss cost me, or how foolishly I used up my margin for error. That was last year. You have to let the bad decisions go.

In fact, let the good ones go, too. Last season's successes aren't a blueprint for winning titles going forward. You have to approach each year with a new pair of eyes, and use your long-term experience to navigate new challenges. Last year was last year, and you shouldn't carry your previous good fortunes into this season any more than you should carry your bad ones.

That goes for NFL teams, too. The Saints (against the Rams) and Rams (against the Patriots) can't dwell on what might have been. They need to start the season fresh. Same with the Patriots, but they seem to do a great job of forgetting the previous season's success. Each year is a new season with new goals and new ways to get there. Maybe that's why they succeed so often.

You have several weeks to get your lists right, and complete your player evaluations. You're not really behind the folks who have been studying for months, because upcoming circumstances can render early research and lists practically useless (see: Hill, Tyreek). Right now I suggest you discard what happened last year and prepare yourself mentally for the upcoming season. The rest will fall into place.

Just as dwelling on the flaws in your last relationship can hurt your current one, dwelling on your fortunes last season can hurt the upcoming one. Don't fight those old battles. Don't rest on those old laurels. Start with your excitement to see the NFL again, and your experience in playing fantasy contests. If you do that, you'll already have an advantage over those who are still playing (and replaying) the 2018 season in their heads while you're getting ready for 2019.

Are you able to put your fantasy past behind you? Do you dwell on previous success or failure? Share your thoughts below.