“Living a life with no mistakes and without any regret is extraordinarily hard to accomplish. A lifetime of making choices brings with it the knowledge that at least a few actions were ill-considered… And through lifes path we do accumulate regret..
Living life without regret is difficult, chances are you already have a regret or two, who knows maybe more…
Regret is “an insight gained a day too late.”
1. Make time
“I just do not have the time, time is not in my side, there is not near enough in a day anymore..”, do these common excuses sound familiar? These weak excuses can keep you a distance from your biggest dreams to your smallest goals.
Even if you think you don’t have enough time, you need to learn to make the time…
2. Do the things that push your potential to be everything you can be…
When people talk about regret, they often mention the things they wish they had done. But it is more specific than that. It is not just action, it is fulfilling those actions that matter most. It is about getting up and making it happen, not waiting for it to happen. Procrastination is the worst habit one can ever form..
Do you have any idea what the common theme of regret is???
Well…. It is the failure to reach our full potential…
It has been described as self-actualization, the realization or fulfillment of an individuals talent and the ability of becoming the best version of yourself…
Think about some ways people express regret…
Would my life have been any different today if my choices yesterday were better?
Should i have maybe studied harder, or saved more?
I say do not be so hard on yourself, no-one really knows what the future holds, and if it is meant to be it will be anyway, good choice or bad…
People often regret unrealized potential, the unexplored skills or wasted opportunities for personal development. It is important to find something meaningful and fulfilling that can challenge you and make you grow as a person. However if it does not serve you then break the habit…
3. Live by these words: “It’s better to try and fail, than to have never tried at all”
Imagine putting all your effort into achieving a massive goal, but you fail to make it happen.
Now imagine a second person who has the same exact aspirations but never even tries. They do not make the effort of taking that crucial first step because they cannot find, or do not have the courage.
Despite failing, you are still leaps and bounds ahead of the second person. You tried. That is something you can feel proud about for the rest of your life. The other person can only wonder “what if…”
4. Listen to your “shoulds”
It is usually the, “i should have done”, that are the things we often regret the most.
“I should have made more of my life”
“I should have told my dad I loved him before it was to late.”
“I should have never been so kind to all the wrong people.”
“I should have respected myself more and left sooner rather than allowing anyone to manipulate and control me.”
Think about this for a minute. Years from now, what will you say you should be doing right now? Reflect on the answers until you understand all the “shoulds” you have floating around in your head.
5. Use your negatives as a mentor..
I do not see unhappiness as a completely negative emotion. Sure, it may not be a pleasant feeling, but it serves a useful purpose. Are you someone who sees things as:
A LESSON OR A BLESSING!!!
OR RATHER A BLESSING IN EVERY LESSON???
Sadness is a signal that something in your life needs to change. Think of it as a signpost telling you that you are heading in the wrong direction. Listen to it. Learn from it. If you completely ignore or avoid it, you are missing out on an opportunity to make positive changes and get on the path that is right for you.
6. Act on your impulses more often…
As i had mentioned earlier, the actions we did not act upon, are the ones we most regret…
What keeps us away from taking action to begin with?
Psychologically, we put more emphasis on immediate consequences more than long-term ones. For example, someone will stay in a job they hate far too long simply to avoid the short term pain of quitting. Naturally, when they are still in that job years later, they regret not having quit sooner.
One way to get around this obstacle is to act on your impulses. Get into the habit of making quick decisions and immediately doing them…
Start thinking on your feet….
The longer you wait to take action, the more you tend to focus on the short-term consequences rather than the long-term benefits. In a way, you talk yourself out of doing it.
With each passing minute, your will to act weakens. Then you just put off a decision you wish you had made sooner.
7. Find the silver lining to bad decisions…
If you have ever made a mistake, two maybe ten, then let me now say, congratulations, you are human. With all the decisions and choices we face, we are bound to do or say something we wish we had not…
Rather than looking at those bad decisions as something you wish to so badly forget, you can use them to move into a better space as well as future. See each negative hurtful situation as an opportunity to learn and grow wiser. If you can use the bad decisions from your past to make you a better person today, you will feel better about them and they will have served a useful purpose.
For many, those insights come decades too late.
Instead of waiting to see what regrets await me, I choose to rather take action here and now…
