On a recent Sunday evening, I asked my online community, “what is your biggest regret?” An overwhelming amount of honest and heartfelt replies came through--from not dreaming big enough, to not spending more time with family, and to contemplating how to better enjoy life. I wanted to share these stories with our community and encourage each of us to pass this thread onto our kids, grandkids, and young entrepreneurs. Here’s what people courageously shared:
NOT DREAMING BIG ENOUGH
“Not starting our own business sooner.”
“Every time I’ve ever doubted myself. I wish I would’ve been confident and had faith in myself that I would accomplish my goal.”
“Living with the idea day in and out that I am destined for more, but just can’t materialize or visualize what that is....at 37.”
“Laziness and procrastination. Getting too comfortable and not pushing myself.”
“Not pushing myself out of my comfort zone when choosing where to go to university.”
NOT HAVING A MENTOR OR SOMEONE TO GUIDE ME
“Not having the courage to leave my home province to get my architectural degree. I wish I'd had a mentor who could have guided me.”
“Letting everyone else tell me what ‘they’ think I should do in my life. Not having a strong female mentor to ‘push’ me.”
“Not doing well in high school, as it severely limited my future, and now I'm doomed to work menial jobs, unless I get super lucky somehow.”
WISHING I HAD SAID OR DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH FAMILY
“I scolded my dad over something really stupid. He died a couple hours later. I never got to reconcile.”
“Not taking off more time when my children were born.”
“I didn’t call my grandfather the night he died.”
“Not having the wisdom when I was young , and even not so young, to give my mom the respect and help she deserved.”
NOT PURSUING WHAT I WANTED IN LIFE
“Not travelling more or living life to its fullest, while my wife was alive. Work should never take priority over one's life.”
“I regret not living enough in the present. As Lao Tzu said, living in the past = depression and in the future = anxiety.”
“We should have moved to Canada earlier.”
“Working so hard on my business that I forgot to enjoy life.”
“Not following my passion from the very beginning. Never let others dictate your direction in life.”
MAKE YOUR REGRETS WORK TO YOUR BENEFIT
So, what do we do with our regrets? We have to ask ourselves what matters right now and take action. If you want to go back to school, enroll. If you want to make amends with a family member, pick up the phone. If you want to cultivate a stronger team culture, start now. As we start to see progress, we’ll believe in the possibility for positive change.
Related: What Not To Do When Pitching To Investors (Part 1)
If you liked this article, we suggest reading How To Overcome Regret According To Headspace CEO Andy Puddicombe
What’s your biggest regret, and what are you doing about it?
Tags: arlene asks, arlene dickinson, life change, life goals, mentors, dealing with regret, regret
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