“If only” is one of those phrases everyone knows, and that’s because it’s so easy to do something now that you’ll only regret later. While you can’t predict the outcome from every decision you make, you can work toward having less “if only” moments in your life by avoiding these 10 common choices people make only to regret further down the line.
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1. Not Being Yourself
If you’re only showing a mask to the world, eventually, you’ll have nothing underneath it. Spending time focusing on everyone else’s view of you or who you think they need you to be can lead you to forget who you actually are, and it’s also emotionally draining.
Let go of your fear of judgment by other people when you know who you are and what matters to you. You don’t need to be perfect to inspire and impress people.
Let them be inspired and impressed by how you handle your imperfections instead. Learn to love yourself as you are, and the right people will love you just as you are, too.
2. Letting Another Person Create Your Dreams
Being happy with what you find in your life is a tall order, and part of that happiness is staying true to your own dreams and goals. Having people disagree with you in this area isn’t necessarily a bad sign, as it means you are walking your own path and standing your ground.
You might find yourself being questioned by other people who think you’re being off the wall, but when you catch yourself losing track of time and loving every minute of it, that means you’re doing the right thing.
Know what your dreams really are and stick to them. Don’t let other people, no matter how well-meaning, dictate what your dreams and goals should be. You only get one shot at life, so you’ve got to make that time count.
3. Keeping Negative People Around
Don’t take on someone else’s bad attitude. The people you’re around are your choice, so if you’re keeping company that lacks compassion, generosity and patience, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
Take stock of all the relationships in your life. Those who make you feel bad and don’t add anything to your life, or just aren’t pleasant to be around, should be cut out. It may seem cold, but you have to do what’s best for you.
By getting rid of the people in your life who don’t add anything to it, you’ll feel better and be able to make more time for the people who do enhance your time in a positive way.
4. Being Egotistical And Selfish
A life that’s full of giving is one that’s well-lived. The people with whom you shared your love with and inspired will remember how you made them feel after you’re gone, but what you do only for yourself dies with you.
Moving your focus from yourself to others can be a challenge, but it’s well worth it. Try to be more giving in all areas of your life, even if it’s something as simple as helping a friend paint a new house or get ready for a job interview.
Make an effort to think about other people more, and soon, it will become your natural habit. Remember that people can only give so much to begin with before they have nothing else to offer, so if you’re a person who is taking all the time, you’re also risking losing people you truly care about.
5. Shying Away From Growth And Change
Your past can tell you a lot about your present conditions, and your present actions can help you see into your future. This is why you need to let the old go to make way for what’s new.
Don’t be afraid of change; be an agent of it. The only way to grow and change for the better is to let it happen, so don’t be afraid to shake things up in your life so you can truly grow as a person.
6. Quitting When Things Get Harder
Even when something doesn’t go the way you had hoped, you still have to stick with it and remain as positive as possible. Learn all you can from your experiences, as that is the only way you can ever hope to achieve true success in the future.
Seeing something through, no matter how difficult, is how you get the knowledge and drive you need to get to the ultimate finish line eventually. It’s your past mistakes and failures that can show you the way to winning, so take those life lessons seriously.
7. Micromanaging Every Single Thing
You want to touch life, not strangle it. Sometimes, you’ve just got to relax and let your life happen without driving yourself up a wall with worry and trying to manage every little detail. Work on knowing when to let go a little so you’re not squeezing too tight.
Take a deep breath when you need to and step back so you can return with a clearer sense of what’s going on and what you need to do. Once you can see the forest from the trees, so to speak, you’ll be able to make the best decision possible under the circumstances.
8. Settling For Less
Learn to let go when you need to, and wait for what you truly deserve. Sometimes, you’ve got to get knocked down a few pegs to be able to stand up taller than before.
Don’t just settle for things in life, like on a partner or job because you’re not strong enough to let go and get out into the unknown.
It’s amazing how quick people are to not let themselves be short-changed in the little things, such as when getting the wrong order from a store, but they’ll still let themselves be short-changed in major things, such as a romantic relationship.
At the end of the day, you’ll regret when you settled for something less than what you truly wanted. If you won’t let a cashier short you a dollar at the register, you shouldn’t accept anything less than what you deserve in the big areas of life, such as work, love and happiness.
9. Always Putting Things Off
Everyone thinks that time is limitless, but in reality, every second counts. If you keep putting things off for tomorrow, one day, you’ll wake up and realize that you’ve actually run out of time for all those things you’ve always dreamed of doing.
Stop putting everything off for tomorrow, as you never know how many of those you will have. Start living each day as if it’s your last.
10. Being Wishy-Washy And Lazy
The world doesn’t owe you a thing, but you owe the world something. It’s time to stop dreaming and start doing something. What you need is a backbone and not a wishbone, so start taking full responsibility for and control of your life today.
