Live Life Without Regrets

How can you live life without regrets? Is it even possible?

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain~

When I was researching and looking for inspiration for my Year Off, I would refer to this quote time and time again. Whenever I’d come across a reason why I shouldn’t take my Year Off, I thought about this quote. When doubt crept into my mind, this quote helped prevent it from growing.

How should I live life without regrets?

I did not want to live the life that our society says I should live, I wanted more time to do what I love doing, and I was afraid of regret. That’s ultimately why I took my Year Off.

And I knew that if I let time slip away, the opportunity to take my Year Off would fade. So I chose to live life without regrets.

The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying

In the book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying”, author and palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware states that the top five regrets of those with a terminal illness are:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Now, let’s go through the 5 regrets of the dying and see how each of them applies to a Year Off.

Regret #1: I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

As I mentioned before, many young professionals fall into what would be considered the normal progression of life: graduate from college, get a job, find someone to marry, buy a house, raise a family, then work until retirement. Perhaps that’s how your parents, all your friends, and other family members have lived their lives. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but that may create expectations in your mind about how you should live your life.

Just remember, there are alternative paths you can take in life, a Year Off being one of those alternative paths. Think about what living a life true to yourself means to you. What does that life look like? What have you always dreamed about accomplishing? How can you live life without regrets? A Year Off allows you to accomplish those dreams and allows you to live a life true to yourself, not a life that others expected you to live.

Regret #2: I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

It’s a fact of life that you to need to work to make money to survive. There’s no getting around that. But what you really need to think about is how much money do you really need and how many possessions do you need to own to be truly happy? The more you work, the more money you will make, but how much more money do you really need?

A Year Off allows you to not work so much. It’s a simple exchange between working time and time to live your dreams. When you’re on your death-bed, you’ll be able to look back on your life and say “I didn’t spend all of my time working for money and possessions that are meaningless to me now. I was able to spend more time pursuing my dreams. I chose to live life without regrets.”

Regret #3: I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

A Year Off gets you out of the rat race and craziness of life. It gives you ample time to relax and reflect on your life and all your relationships. It removes the constant busyness and lets you focus on what’s really important to you.

Through a Year Off, you are giving yourself the time to express yourself and be who you always wanted to be. It gives you the time to clear your mind and have the difficult conversations with the people who mean the most to you. You have more time to tell and show your loved ones how much you love them. You’ll have the time to express your feelings and repair any damaged relationships you may have.

Regret #4: I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

More time away from work equals more time to spend with friends. Plain and simple! As life goes on, you get caught up in the craziness and you find yourself wanting more and more time to yourself when you’re not at work. Your friendships suffer as a result.

A Year Off gives you the time to re-kindle those friendships and reconnect with the people who mean the most to you. You aren’t pressed for time and you’re able to go out and grab lunch with an old friend or visit a friend who moved to a different city. You’ll have time to travel with your friends and develop a much deeper relationship with them. You’ll get to know them better on a week-long trip than just a random dinner out.

Regret #5: I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Bronnie Ware states that happiness is a choice. You have complete control over how you react to situations, and ultimately, your happiness is a direct result of the choices that you make.

By taking a Year Off, you are making a decision that allows you to be happier. You are giving yourself the time to do more of what you love, not more of what you need to do to survive. You are taking direct control of your life and steering yourself in the direction you want to go, not the direction other’s think you should go.

Your Year Off gives you the opportunity for more happiness.

You will have one less regret to worry about if you take a Year Off. Memories of a lifetime will be made. You will have many stories to tell within the bigger story of your life.

Don’t let regret get a hold of you in the future. Take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening. Take action starting today to get you on the path to what it is you want to do. Start removing all the BS from your life. Start replacing it with actions that lead to your goal…… your Year Off!