10 Things You’ll Never Regret Doing When You’re Older
Simple things that will add joy to your life.
Regret is one of those things that stays with you.
I’m the type of person who used to always dwells on things. I dwelled on the fact that I stayed with partners who weren’t right for me, I dwelled on the fact that I wasted over 60 hours of my life watching Breaking Bad, I dwelled on giving up boxing in middle school — well, you get the point.
As I’m getting older, I’m trying to be more mindful of how I spend my time and ensuring that years from now, when I look back on my life, it’s not overflowing with regrets. I don’t want to live that way. I don’t want to feel like I’m wasting my life.
With that being said, here are ten little things you can do now that you’ll be glad you did later.
Waking up early and getting things done.
You will never regret waking up a few hours earlier.
There’s no better feeling than knowing you’re up and at it while the rest of the city sleeps. You’re not rushing through your morning; you’re not burning your tongue with your coffee because you’re in a rush to gulp it down.
Waking up early allows you to have a taste of freedom first thing in the morning. You’re not on anybody else’s time clock.
I guarantee that by the end of the day, you’ll thank yourself for waking up earlier because not only did you get more done in the day, but you got some “me” time first thing.
Telling your parents you love them.
I never find myself saying, “I regret telling my mom I love her.”
But I do find myself thinking, “I regret not telling her how much I love her.”
Time is fleeting. You never know what can happen, if you’re lucky, your family will be the most important people in your life. Tell them that often, and it will remind you to be grateful.
My grandma passed away a few years ago, and not a day goes by that I don’t regret not telling her “I love you” that last afternoon that I saw her.
Ending that relationship that made you feel like shit about yourself.
Why put yourself through the torture of being with someone who makes you feel like shit about yourself? Do you really think it’s going to get better? Do you really think they’ll magically change?
Life is too short to be with someone who doesn’t make you feel like you’re on top of the world when you’re with them.
Imagine how you’ll feel down the line when you remember your time with this individual.
Do you want to look back and say, “I’m proud of myself for leaving that toxic situation,” or do you want to look back and say, “I wish I had left. I wasted so much of my life on someone who didn’t deserve it.”
Bonus: Ending that relationship that you knew deep down wasn’t right for you.
If deep down you know the person you’re sleeping next to at night isn’t the person you want to grow old with, leave.
Stop giving your body, your soul, your thoughts, your smile, your laugh, your touch, your love, and your time to someone who isn’t right for you.
Taking photos of meaningful moments, like at family gatherings and holidays.
In the moment, your family, partner or friends, might complain.
“You’re always taking pictures! Enjoy the moment instead!”
But, whenever I look back at family photos from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, I smile. I smile so hard it makes my cheeks hurt. Memories will fade from your mind. Pictures usually last forever. So take the damn picture.
Not giving up on your goals.
Right now, life is hard. You hustle, you grind, you wake up early, you work hard, and you still don’t see the results you want. You contemplate giving up.
Years from now, you’re going to look back at the struggle and feel proud of yourself for pushing.
You’ll feel even more proud of yourself because you’ll remember how close you came to giving everything up — but you didn’t because deep down, you knew you were meant for greater things.
I don’t know of anybody who thought back on their younger years and has ever said,
“I’m so glad I gave up on my dreams. Yeah, man, I’m glad I quit! Doing something that doesn’t fulfill me or make me happy is much better.”
You will never regret working towards your dreams and aspirations.
Getting in a workout.
Ever hear of someone say, “I really regret that workout.”
Me neither. Every day you sit there, contemplating whether you should go workout or skip, and then once you actually get into the gym, you think to yourself, “It’s not the working out that’s hard. It’s the getting up part!”
Remember that next time.
You’ll never regret taking care of your body. You only get one.
Taking care of your skin.
Skin is the largest organ of our body.
Some people have incredible skin genetically — so they don’t worry about a proper skincare routine, hydration, taking off their makeup, or washing their face before bedtime, but just because it doesn’t show now doesn’t mean it won’t show later.
Protect your skin. Wear sunscreen, so you don’t get wrinkles or skin cancer.
Drink your water so you’re hydrated and your skin stays plump and clear.
Standing up for yourself and what you deserve.
Don’t take people’s shit. Stand up for yourself. Stand up for what you deserve in your relationships, in your work life, private life, etc. Put on your adult pants and speak your mind.
Ask for the raise you know you deserve. Worst-case scenario is they say no. Best-case scenario you get what you deserve.
That girl you’ve been eyeing every day? The cute barista who always smiles at you at the coffee shop you don’t even like, but you go there anyway just to see her? Ask her out.
That cute guy at the gym? You’ve made eye contact multiple times at this point. Be bold. Say hi. Say anything.
Your marriage? Things haven’t been good between the two of you lately. You want to fix it, but you don’t know how? Say something. Stand up for the both of you.
You won’t ever regret fighting for yourself and for what you want, but you will regret swallowing your pain your hurt and staying quiet.
Turning your phone off at dinner.
I know I mentioned you should take more pictures, especially when you’re with your loved ones — but take that picture and turn your phone off.
Whether you’re with someone or alone.
Learn to enjoy your food. Stop shoveling it down your throat, barely tasting anything. Chew it properly. If you’re not eating alone, converse with the person you’re with instead of scrolling mindlessly.
Talk about your day. Compliment the chef. Sit in silence for a while with your thoughts.
Reading a good book instead of watching TV.
I can confidently say there hasn’t been a moment that I’ve ever regretted choosing a book instead of watching TV.
Educate yourself. Broaden your thinking. TV isn’t bad, but when is the last time you sat in comfortable silence with yourself, your thoughts, and a story from a different time?
TV won’t enrich your life like a good novel. It won’t sculpt your imagination or make you question life. Books have the power to change you. They have the power to make you dream bigger.
The next time you get up from your desk and think, “I’m done for the day, time to relax and watch Netflix,” reconsider.
Evenings are the perfect and cozy time to set aside the day’s work, stress, anxieties and live in another world through the words of someone else.
At the end of the day, you’re the one who decides how you will spend your time and what kind of life you want to create. Choose wisely.
It’s better to be mindful of your actions now and change them now, rather than end up wishing you had done things differently years from today.