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The future can be an unpredictable place, and often our actions today can create regrets for us tomorrow. We all make mistakes in life, but some are much more costly than others. Have you ever paused to think about what choices you might later regret? From passing up meaningful opportunities to saying “yes” when we should’ve said “no,” we all have things that we’ll likely wish differently had done over the years.
Here are ten life choices that you might want to change if you are making today before you look back with regret.
#1. Faking Who You Are
In our teenage years, we realize the power of peer pressure. Some of us can deal with it, while others give in. Eventually, most of us figure it out and become our own person.
But there are times when we pretend to be someone we are not. Over the years, we lose our authentic selves more as we play this game. Then one day, you wake up and realize you have been living a lie and not living at all. Don’t try to impress others or pretend to be someone you are not. Be happy with who you are and live your life on your terms.
#2. Staying in Bad Relationships
This is most people’s biggest regret, and almost everyone has experienced it. We stick with the wrong person because the good times are great, even though they are few and far between.
Or we see the shimmer of good in them and try to stick it out until they find it themselves. Worse yet, we stick around because we don’t think we deserve anyone better.
If you are making this mistake today, you must accept reality and move on. It isn’t easy to say goodbye to someone you care about. But you will regret sticking with them someday soon.
One day, you will wake up and wonder where your life went. You will think about all the people you could have met and the memories you could have made. Always remember you are worthy of an amazing relationship. Don’t settle.
#3. Keeping Negative Relationships
Related to the above point is keeping negative relationships in your life. This is about having negative people around. They bring you down and sap you of your motivation and happiness. You know if you have one of these people in your life. And you know you need to cut ties with them.
It is not healthy for you, as you limit your happiness. So make a list of the people who bring you down and figure out ways to limit your interactions with them. You could spend less time with them in person, not talk on the phone so much, and more.
#4. Avoiding Change
We are creatures of habit. We love our routines. It’s only natural then that we don’t like change. But some of us take avoiding change too far. We refuse to change anything. If you are unhappy with how your life is going right now, you need to make a change.
Otherwise, in ten years, you will still be the same old you, and everything else in your life will be the same too. So take the first step now. Figure out one area in life you are unhappy and make a change. This doesn’t have to be as drastic as quitting your job; instead, figure out what you want to do and create a plan for how to get there.
#5. Being Lazy
It’s easy to be lazy these days. With technology, we can sit on the couch all day and watch TV and movies. We can even have our food delivered to us. You are going down a slippery slope by not taking action in life.
Before you know it, ten years will have passed, and all those goals and dreams you had will be distant memories. You don’t want that for yourself. Start to take action now with simple self improvement tips.
The first step is the hardest, but once you take it, things become easier. Don’t sit there and let life pass you by because you aren’t in the mood to do something.
#6. Ignoring Your Finances
Your finances play a huge role in your success and happiness in life. Sadly, many of us are horrible with money. But just because you are bad with money now doesn’t mean you will be forever.
Take some time to learn the basics and apply them. If you can learn to start saving something every month and live within your means, you are on the right track.
#7. Quitting Too Soon
How many times have you given up, admitting defeat too soon? It’s understandable to give up when we fail, but there is a lesson in failure. And learning from that failure will guide you to success you never thought possible.
So next time you are thinking of quitting, don’t. Take a step back and learn from it. Then push forward and try again. Repeat this process until you succeed.
#8. Ignoring Your Health
This regret is challenging because of how the human body works. We can do all sorts of unhealthy things when we are young that don’t catch up to us until we are older. But as we age, our bodies slow down, and our poor choices in our younger years catch up.
So make the choice today to start taking care of your health.
Get a physical exam with blood work to know where you stand. If you are old enough, get the other tests your doctor recommends. Then change your habits. Start eating better and exercising.
You don’t have to change your life in one week completely. Just take small steps. Drink more water and go for a 20-minute walk three times a week. You can make a few more changes as you get accustomed to this.
#9. Not Creating Your Own Life
The hardest part of life is figuring out who you are. Growing up, we have dreams, but because we don’t know who we are, we allow others’ dreams to guide us. For some, this turns out OK. For others, it’s a recipe for disaster.
You find yourself in a career you hate and don’t know the person looking back at you in the mirror. At some point, you need to live your own life and be your own person. I’ll admit, this is not easy. But the reward is priceless when you figure it out.
#10. Thinking The Grass is Always Greener
It’s natural at times in life to be envious of others’ success. But when we believe that others have it better than us, we enter into a troubled situation. Depression, anxiety, and envy overtake our lives. We are always unhappy and think everyone is out to do us wrong.
When we see someone else succeed, we give in to the idea that the grass is always greener. This needs to stop. While in some cases, the grass is greener, most times, it is not. We only see the good parts. Filtered from our view is the bad. But the bad is there.
Think about how often you see the perfect couple that has it all. Then one day, you find out they are getting divorced. To the public eye, everything was great. But behind closed doors, the marriage was crumbling. Learn that you only see what you see; there is more truth to every story.
This article originally appeared on Unfinished Success.
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.