I've found that having regret in life or business is really about my personal or professional motivations. That's because regret is a feeling. It’s an emotion. When I ask myself about things in my life or business that I regret, it forces me to learn from my past experiences.
Regret is actually a very powerful tool in this regard. It allows us to transform the negative experiences or missed opportunities in our lives, into positive experiences or lessons that can help us gain clarity and confidence in the present moment.
Here are two positive ways to use regret:
1: Flashback to a past experience.
- What is something you regret doing or not doing in the past?
- How would your life be different now if you did or didn't do that thing?
- What lesson(s) can you take away from that experience for the present moment to either help yourself or help someone else in a positive way?
- What major decision or crossroads are facing right now?
- If you fast-forward 5 or 10 years, and you’re looking back at this moment in time, would you have any regrets that you did or didn’t take action now when you had the chance?
- Which decision would you regret the least?
Looking at things from the perspective of regret has really helped me to gain clarity and confidence when I find myself at a crossroads in life and business. If something is going to give me regret if I do it, then I tend not to do it. On the other hand, if NOT doing something is going to cause me regret in the future, I try to find the courage to move forward and do the thing that I’ve been afraid to do.
So, here's my ridiculous question of the day:
How can you use regret in a positive way to propel yourself forward in life or business?
