How To Live Your Life With No Regrets

Life is full of ups and downs. We all make a series of decisions that lead us down a path, and while we think we know where we’re headed, things don’t always work out the way we thought they would. But obsessing over the past and a choice we made won’t change where we are right now. The key to living with no regrets is learning how to focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past. We all make mistakes, but it’s how you recover from them that makes you who you are.

  1. See your mistakes as a learning experience. Mistakes aren’t the end of the world as long as you learn from them. Sometimes an error in judgement can teach you something you never would have learned otherwise, and that’s never a bad thing.
  2. Don’t be so hard on yourself. No one is perfect. So what if you aren’t flawless in every way? In fact, people will be suspicious of you if you appear to be perfect, because everyone knows it’s a facade. You might as well just embrace your flaws, because they make you way more interesting and relatable anyway.
  3. Walk that fine line between being spontaneous and being reckless. Split second decisions can pay off, but they can also end in disaster. Learn to trust your instincts, because agonizing over a decision for too long isn’t always the way to go.
  4. Think things through. On the other hand, some decisions do require a more thorough consideration of the pros and cons. Run these ones past a few of the people you trust the most. Sometimes others will bring up a new angle you hadn’t considered, and they’ll remind you that you aren’t alone.
  5. Take those once in a lifetime opportunities. Even if it means picking up and changing your entire life, don’t brush off those chances as impossible. If you really want to, you can do anything, so quit limiting yourself.
  6. Don’t live on anyone else’s terms. No one else has to live your life and the consequences of your choices but you, so don’t let other people’s hang ups dictate which path you choose to take.
  7. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Life is short, so don’t waste it procrastinating the days away.
  8. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Putting yourself out there is the best way to meet new people and have new experiences. If you play it safe all the time you’ll never get that adrenaline rush of not knowing what could happen.
  9. Stay safe, but don’t let fear control you. Women will always have to be just a little more cautious than men, and while that may not seem fair, it’s the reality. But if you’re smart, there’s no reason you have to be afraid to live the life you want to live.
  10. Don’t ever settle. On anything— a job, a guy, a haircut, a dress that doesn’t quite fit right. You deserve the best, so demand it.
  11. Stop waiting for life to happen to you. If you don’t get out there and fight for what you want, you’ll never have it. No one else is going to live your life for you, so it’s up to you to figure it out.
  12. Be humble enough to say you’re sorry. Personal and professional relationships are a huge part of life, and an essential part of maintaining them is knowing when and how to apologize. Disagreements will happen, but if you can take them in stride and perfect the art of compromise, you’ll always get through it.
By day, Courtney is a digital marketing copywriter living in Toronto, Canada. By night, she's a freelance lifestyle writer who, in addition to Bolde.com, contributes regularly to AmongMen.ca, IN Magazine, and SheBlogs Canada. Want to chat about relationships, Stephen King or your favorite true crime podcast/documentary/book? She's on Twitter @courtooo.
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