In 2013, an interesting study was performed by a lady called Bronnie Ware––a nurse in a terminal palliative care unit. She decided to poll her patients in their last days in hopes to uncover their biggest regrets so that others could learn from them.
That’s the key part of the findings in this study, the top thing every single person fed back each of them in different ways but with the same implication was that they wished they had learned these lessons earlier in life.
I think it was D.L. Moody that said:
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”
1. I never pursued my dreams and aspirations.
This was the top of the list, the fact that people didn’t have the courage to pursue their dreams or just settled for what other people expected of them.
2. I worked too much and never made time for my family.
In at number two was spending so much time working that their family suffered, their marriages broke down, they missed their children growing up, they lost touch with friends and never got on top of their workload until it was too late.
3. I should have made more time for my friends.
Related to the one above, if you don’t intentionally plan to spend time with friends you will lose touch with them and that’s a big regret for people at the end of their lives that they didn’t take the time when they were younger to make time for friends.
4. I should have said ‘I love you’ a lot more.
It may be hard sometimes to tell people you love them, but ignore this at your peril, there are many songs written about this and its number four on the all-time list of regrets for a reason.
5. I should have spoken my mind instead of holding back and resenting things.
Learn to stand your ground and say things you think need saying, mind other people’s feelings by all means but don’t allow others to run your life or make you unhappy.
6. I should have been the bigger person and resolved my problems.
Conflict is a fact of life, learn to deal with it and learn to forgive, it will make your life easier and takes away an enourmous amount of stress.
7. I wish I didn’t worry as much.
At the end of your life, remember that the unpaid bills and debts, what other people think of you, how much money you have, and everything else we worry about won’t really matter. Remember: don’t be a worrier; be a warrior.
8. I should have saved more money for my retirement.
Plan to retire as early as possible, retirement is not a factor of age, it’s a factor of passive income, when your income from your assets (not your assets value) exceeds your liabilities (what you have to pay) you can retire.
9. Not having the courage to live truthfully.
Tell the truth, if you need help ask for it, be honest with people and always communicate in good faith, it is important that you are happy with what you say and how you act.
10. Happiness is a Choice, I wish I knew that earlier.
Be happy, being happy is more important, than being right, that being rich, than being successful, in fact if you achieve great wealth and yet you are unhappy that my friends is failure.
Imagine yourself on your deathbed at 99 years old, imagine you are gifted with the ability to go back to give some advice to you today, would you tell yourself to work harder, spend less time with your family and friends, make less money, plan less for your life, have smaller goals or would you in fact tell yourself to pursue your goals?
Do you need to change the way you think and act today?
We only have one life… don’t waste it on things that don’t matter.
Get in touch to see if I can help you do that
