A few years ago, Diet Coke’s research found that 6 out of 10 women would change aspects of their lives if they had the opportunity to do it all over again. After looking at the results of the “no regrets campaign,” I have to admit there were at least three things on the list that I would definitely change if given the chance.
The purpose of the study was to show women how much they’re spending their lives harboring regrets instead of living life to the fullest. As we bring in another new year, there will be many things to reflect on. Things we wish we had done and things we wish we hadn’t.
We can’t fix everything, but there are some things we can reverse before they define us for the rest of our lives. We don’t have to go into the New Year with the same regrets. Here are some we can change today.
Are you with me?
- Caring about what other people think. Considering others’ feelings is normal when our words and actions have the potential to hurt them. But it goes too far if we depend on their opinion before we can make any moves. You’ll never gain the approval or agreement of every person in your life. If they’re not financing your lifestyle….. girl please. When you’ve done your best and you feel that God is pleased with you, then that’s enough.
- Not saving money. If this is your regret, I don’t blame you. Who wouldn’t want to have money in savings to manage emergencies or plan dream vacations without going into debt. But, just because you didn’t start earlier, it doesn’t mean you can’t start today and create a nice rainy-day fund. It doesn’t have to be much; it’s more important that you get started. Set an amount that you want to have by the end of the year, divide it up by paychecks and go for it.
- Worrying about things that may never happen. Worrying makes you feel like you can’t win ~J.Moss.
When you worry, you set yourself up for all types of mental and physical anguish. Worry causes stress, and stress causes sicknesses and diseases. It’s not worth it. Worrying is often the result of not being in control or not knowing the outcome. Sometimes we just need to pray, relax and let it go. It will eventually work out one way or another.
- Quitting School. Before I finished my B.S. degree, I accepted what I thought was a dream job. Eventually, I felt like I could live without a degree, so I quit school. And I was right. Even though my experienced trumped the benefits of a degree, I soon regretted putting in the time and getting so close, but not having anything to show for it. In the end, I finished my degree and you can too.
If you live with nagging regret that you didn’t finish school, it’s not a big deal. As long as you’re breathing, you can go back. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can do it if you really want to. Stop hiding behind your excuses and create a plan to make it happen. Even if you can only take one class per semester, by this time next year, you could be three classes closer to getting your degree. Go on, just do it!
- Not being yourself. This is often the result of feeling real or imagined pressure to live up to the expectations of other people, such as your parents or spouse. It’s also caused by the fear of rejection. But it’s your life. God created you to be unique and with a purpose that no one else can fulfill but you. Why send your representative when the real you could show up every time? Don’t waste the gift of life trying to be someone you’re not.
- Not spending enough time with loved ones. Time is the only commodity that is irreplaceable: invest it, share it, spend it…but never waste it ~Tracy Sherwood.
Time is the one resource that you can spend and never get back. It’s valuable. If you’re so busy that you can’t give quality time to your loved ones, then you’re too busy. Look at your schedule and find something you can eliminate so that you can have scheduled date nights with your husband, kids, parents and siblings.
- Choosing the wrong career path. If you’re able to support yourself using dividends from the “wrong career,” it’s not a lost cause. At least you can eat every day. But, you have nothing to lose if you want to try something different. If one person has changed careers and lived to tell about it, then you have no excuses. If you don’t make the change you’ll always wonder “what if…?”
- Not having a dream wedding. There were so many blunders that kept my wedding day from being a dream that I spent years nurturing this regret. Now I realize that I could always re-do my wedding day, but I’m not sure that it’s worth the money anymore. What matters most is that I got the man of my dreams.
- Not being married by a certain age. Marriage is awesome when you’re married to the right person. But in order for it to be awesome, both of you have to be ready! Sometimes we’re so busy falling in love with the idea of love, that we neglect to prepare ourselves for this life-changing union. Your marriage will only be as strong as you are. Instead of focusing on getting marriage checked off your bucket list, focus on preparing and being ready when it happens.
Reply and let me know the one or two regrets that you have?
