17 Steps to a Regret-Free Life: A Guide for Gen Z
Most of us have heard someone say, “Live with no regrets.” But in reality, according to science, regret serves a purpose in our lives. This fact is especially true when we’re young and have time to correct our mistakes.
By implementing practices like the ones on this list, you might be able to save yourself some real regret.
1: Taking Risks
For adolescents, taking risks is an essential part of brain development. But researchers believe that risk-taking is important in young adulthood, too.
Young people have time to make up for their mistakes, so take the risky job, move across the country on a whim, or go on that blind date your friend’s been trying to set up for months. You never know; it just might work out.
2: Appreciating Your Looks
It’s easy to fall into the vanity trap when you’re young. But as many older people can attest to, spending hours obsessing over your looks, or worse, backing out of plans because you have a chin zit, is no way to live.
Furthermore, instead of focusing on how much older you’re looking, you’re better off focusing on how young you still look. You’ll never again be as young as you are at this very moment.
3: Having More Fun
When you’re young and (likely) broke, you may find it hard to justify taking time off work or school to enjoy yourself. However, having fun while you’re young is important, and many older generations wish they had prioritized it more.
4: Working on Important Relationships
You might think you have plenty of time to repair the relationship with your estranged father or forgive your childhood best friend, but time moves faster than you think. You never know when you might lose someone close to you. Not prioritizing relationship work when they were younger is something older people often regret.
5: Pushing for the Yes
It’s easy to hear the word “no” and give up, but advocating for yourself is something many young people fail to do and regret later in life. If your boss, coworker, or even your parent tells you no when you’re asking for something you really believe in, don’t always take it at face value.
6: Traveling
There’s no expiration date on seeing new sights, but traveling when you’re young has perks. When you’re under 30, you can take advantage of discounts, including cheaper Eurorail tickets. You might also take advantage of a working holiday visa, allowing you to experience countries from Iceland to South Korea for up to 12 months at a time.
7: Saving Money
More than half of older Americans feel they aren’t saving enough for retirement. The younger you start saving, the better off you’re likely to be.
With things like compound interest working in young people’s favor, those who start saving in their twenties set themselves up for a financially better future.
8: Embracing Free Time
Things often get busy in middle age. There are more family obligations, higher-pressure career moves, and home maintenance needs. When you’re young, you might have more spare time, and you should embrace it completely.
9: Taking Care of Your Body
In most cases, muscle mass reaches its peak at around 35 years old. If you want to maintain independence as you age, it’s important to build muscle early and keep your exercise habits strong.
10: Paying Attention to Red Flags
It’s easy to write off red flags in relationships when you’re young and inexperienced. But if you manage to catch them, you can save yourself a lot of time and heartache.
A partner who love bombs, gaslights, or avoids emotional connection is one you should think twice about.
12: Doing What You Love
Many young people choose their careers based on money or practicality rather than passion. While doing what you love doesn’t always pay the bills, finding a job that strikes a balance between passion and profit is a good way to build a happier life.
13: Talking to the Older Generation
Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are a wealth of information about past generations, and, unfortunately, they won’t always be around to talk to. Making time to learn about their lives and what they’ve experienced could teach you a thing or two.
14: Learning New Skills
Neural deterioration is typical with age. While there are things you can do to slow or prevent it, learning new skills, like playing an instrument or picking up a new language, is easier when you’re younger.
15: Becoming Financially Literate
The earlier you learn the basics of finance, the more confident you’ll be at navigating complex financial situations later in life. Taking a course, reading a few books, or just starting to read the financial news are good ideas when you’re in your twenties and thirties.
16: Use the Nice Stuff
From the special occasion plates to your favorite perfume, there’s no need to save your nicest things for big moments. If you love something, you should use it, wear it, or enjoy it in any way you can.
17: Do the Thing You’re Putting Off
Humans are prone to making mountains out of molehills. But the faster you learn to do the things you don’t want to do quickly, the easier life becomes.
Chances are whatever you’re dreading, be it filing your taxes or scheduling that doctor’s appointment, won’t be as onerous as you’re imagining.
How Regret Works
Regret comes in two forms: we can regret our actions or our inactions. When we regret an action, we can usually try to right our wrongs. But if we regret an inaction, finding closure is difficult.
Missed Opportunity
Difficult decisions are part of life, and we often think choosing not to act is the best route. The cost of inaction is typically less obvious in the short term. However, when we feel like we missed an opportunity we’re more likely to experience regret that grows with time.
Less Helpful With Age
When you’re young, regret is often a good thing. It can teach you to take the next chance or snag the next opportunity. As we age, regret becomes less helpful because we can’t do much to correct our decisions.
What We Regret Most
According to a study published in the International Journal of Aging and Human Development, older adults tend to have regret about things they didn’t do earlier in life, the way their loved ones pass away, and their own health problems.
Make a Change
When you’re younger, you have a chance to use regret to your advantage. If you miss an opportunity, use your regret to make a positive change. Watch for future opportunities and grab them.
Let It Go
Ideally, when facing regret as a younger person, regardless of what it’s about, you’ll learn to let the feeling go. While regret serves a purpose, holding on to it for a long period can create emotional turmoil and stress.
A Learned Skill
In a 2005 study of people over 65 who were either healthy or had been diagnosed with depression, researchers found that healthy and depressed elders experienced regret when losing in a game. However, the healthy elders quickly recovered from the loss, while those with depression did not.
Researchers hypothesize that the quick ability to recover was learned from prior experiences in which these elders were able to let go of their regret and move forward.
11 Things That Disappear When You Retire
A survey by Lincoln Financial Group says 60% of retirees would go back in time if they could and change how they planned their retirement during their working years. Whether for better or worse, these are some of the things that disappear upon retiring.
11 Things That Disappear When You Retire
25 Common Life Traps Americans Believe
Sometimes, it takes something external to pull a person out of a cycle of thinking that isn’t healthy for them. These are some of the most common life traps Americans fall into.
