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Are you feeling overwhelmed by the daily pressures of life and regretting decisions you have made in the past?
You are not alone.
Many of us make choices that can lead to long-term consequences that we may not understand or fully experience at first.
From career moves, purchasing decisions, spending habits, relationship issues and more, various life choices can dictate whether our lives reach their highest potential or suffer in defeat.
In order to help steer your course of decision making better in the future, let’s take a look at 12 regrets associated with some poor life choice examples and how they manifest into manageable yet enduring problems over time.
#1. Believing Hard Work Always Pays Off
There’s this ongoing narrative that hard work will help you see good fortune and everything you’ve ever wanted out of life.
Unfortunately, that’s not always true.
Many regret the times they’ve spent loyally working under someone or dedicating themselves to something, only to find that their dedication and hard work didn’t get them much further.
#2. Missing Out on the Right Investments
Fear of missing out (FOMO) exists for a reason.
People buy into alternative investments or take unnecessary risks because they’ve seen things in the past that they wish they’d have bought into.
Whether it’s not investing in Bitcoin or not investing in housing before the market changed and made housing unaffordable, there are tons of investments people wish they’d paid attention to.
#3. Letting Parents Have Control Over Finances
Parents are supposed to have our best interests in mind, but that isn’t always the case.
Several people regret giving their parents control over their finances because they took their money and consistently abused them over time.
#4. Going Years Without Treating Mental Illness
Untreated mental illness is a situation that can take away a ton of time and make life substantially more difficult to navigate.
While leaving it untreated may not have seemed like a wrong choice at the time, many have seen what treatment could do and wish they had sought it sooner.
#5. Isolating
Many adults can relate to isolation, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
But others isolate for other reasons, and they feel like they’ve lost much of their life and negatively impacted their mental health.
#6. Starting to Smoke
Smoking used to be cool, but we’ve eroded that image over time and managed to change the way people perceive smoking.
But those born when smoking was encouraged found that one quickly led to another, and now they cannot quit.
Given the damage cigarettes can do to the body, those who can’t quit regret touching cigarettes in the first place.
#7. Blindly Trusting People
It’s easy to believe that everyone will do the right thing and offer the best of themselves.
The reality?
Everyone’s not so good.
Many have had poor experiences with supervisors, HR, and other people in their organizations who should have protected them but only had their own best interests in mind.
#8. Marrying the Wrong Person
It’s doubtful that people anticipate they will stay married for the rest of their lives or find “the one” very easily.
However, marrying the wrong person is a regret that has derailed quite a few lives and made things difficult for one or both parties moving forward.
#9. Trying to Help People Who Didn’t Deserve It
When we help people, it should be out of the kindness of our hearts, never expecting anything in return.
However, some people will go in the opposite direction and take more.
People have many regrets when they’ve helped someone who hurt them later, whether through theft, deceit, or some other choice that made them end the relationship.
#10. Being Mean to Others in the Past
You can’t undo what you’ve done or take back words you’ve already said.
Being mean to loved ones is something you’ll find many regrets, especially when they’ve lost time with those people or have lost them since.
#11. Not Saving and Investing Earlier in Life
Interest accrues over time, but you have to have money in various high-yield saving accounts and investment accounts to take advantage of it.
Many rapidly approaching retirement age or those who have already passed it regretted not investing sooner and still having to work to support themselves.
#12. Getting Higher Education
Higher education can lead to more job opportunities and a better salary over time, but that doesn’t mean that every degree will open those doors.
One common regret is pursuing higher education without understanding the nuances of the job market or getting the wrong degree entirely, which just left many having to work regular jobs they could get without one.
When Life Gives You Lemons
Nothing in life always works out perfectly.
Many times we hit rough patches where everything goes wrong. Learn how to handle these situations and come out better on the other side.
Life Is Full Of Choices
Every day we make choices that impact the direction our life will head. Some decisions won’t have a major impact, while others will.
Discover how to make smart choices in life so you can achieve everything you want to.
LIFE IS FULL OF CHOICES, SO CHOOSE WISELY
Become A Better Person
Are you looking to make positive changes in your life, but feeling unsure where to start? Becoming a better version of yourself is not only possible, it’s also a much more attainable goal than you might think.
It’s all about learning from your mistakes, allowing yourself space for self-reflection, and making positive changes to help you reach your potential.
LEARN HOW TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON
Things To Be Grateful For
They say it’s the little things in life that bring us the most joy.
But too many times, we are too busy to acknowledge these things.
Here are over 50 small things about life to be grateful for.
THINGS IN LIFE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR
Self Care Ideas To Nurture Your Mind, Body, and Soul
It is important in life to take some time to care for ourselves.
Too many of up prioritize everything else and when it comes time to pamper ourselves, we don’t have the energy.
Here are some simple ways you can take care of yourself, regardless of how exhausted you are.
SELF CARE IDEAS THAT NURTURE YOU
Jon Dulin is the passionate leader of Unfinished Success, a personal development website that inspires people to take control of their own lives and reach their full potential. His commitment to helping others achieve greatness shines through in everything he does. He’s an unstoppable force with lots of wisdom, creativity, and enthusiasm – all focused on helping others build a better future. Jon enjoys writing articles about productivity, goal setting, self-development, and mindset. He also uses quotes and affirmations to help motivate and inspire himself. You can learn more about him on his About page.