5 Biggest Regrets People Have Before They Die
(results of palliative care patient surveys)
- I wish I pursued my dreams and aspirations and not the life others expected.
- If you know what really makes you happy, do it!
- Identify your personal core values and passions (i.e. affection, challenge, family, recognition).
- Make choices aligned with your own goals rather than seeking approval from others.
- I wish I didn’t work as hard
- Simplify one’s lifestyle. Making better choices.
- Create firm boundaries between your work and your personal life (i.e. work-life balance).
- I wish I had the courage to express my feelings and speak my mind
- Not harbouring bitterness – understanding the value of honesty and confrontation.
- Practice honest and open communication. Share feelings constructively instead of ignoring them to avoid conflict.
- I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends
- Importance of building strong social circles.
- Tell those in your social circle how much they mean to you.
- I wish that I had let myself be happier
- Creating a balanced leisure lifestyle and learning how to have fun.
- Let go of what others think and allow yourself to embrace happiness.
Building a retirement vision
The above wishes should be part of imaging your new role as a retired person. This includes things that make you happy. Successful retirees build their own realistic and well-rounded vision of retirement. They create and implement a plan to make it happen!
Read: Retirement: The Ultimate Life Journey.
Exercises: Visualizing Your Retirement. Needs & wants. Leisure activities. Using legacy to guide actions. Social Circles & 25 others.