Having regrets at the end of our lives is something we dread. Yet we’re not living life to the full. We know it, we feel it. So what can we do to avoid regrets? How can we be proud and grateful for the life we’ve led? Here are 10 powerful tips!

1 – How not to have regrets: know your dreams

Do you have any dreams? Desires? Passions? What drives you? What ignites your heart and soul?

It’s not uncommon to be so caught up in our daily lives that we don’t really know what makes us tick.

In fact, we’ve forgotten to ask ourselves the question, and our lives seem to be a succession of obligations and things to do that we don’t really enjoy.

And that’s how we run the risk of having regrets at the end of our lives.

Indeed, on our deathbed, we wouldn’t like to say: “My life has been a succession of tasks to be done, and my heart has remained wisely in my chest. It didn’t beat wildly, because I didn’t like what I was doing.”

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to take time as often as possible to ask yourself what your dreams are and what your heart longs for.

Knowing yourself also means knowing what drives us, because we’re here to do what makes us tick.

2 – Follow your dreams

Sometimes we know what our dreams are. Our hearts are full of ideas and projects, but we turn a deaf ear.

We say to ourselves, “I’ll see about that later,” and go on with our routine.

And having regrets at the end of one’s life starts this way, by not following our dreams. When we say to ourselves, “I’ve got time, I’ll see about that later,” or “This isn’t the right time, I’ll wait.”

In fact, it’s not uncommon for us not to take our dreams seriously. We say to ourselves: “They’re just dreams, I need real goals”.

Unfortunately, at the end of our lives, we realize that the only goals we should have been chasing were our dreams.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to put your dreams first, right now.

What can you do today to move towards your dream? This question is one of the best ways to avoid regrets at the end of your life.

3 – Don’t listen to the advice of those close to you to avoid regrets

For as long as we can remember, we’ve learned to listen to others. It started with our parents and teachers, who seemed to know best.

We’ve grown up and still think the same way: others know best what’s good for us.

Here again, imagining ourselves at the end of our lives allows us to refocus on what’s most important.

Indeed, one study has shown that the greatest regret people have on their deathbed is to have lived according to other people’s views, and not for themselves.

So if you don’t want to have any regrets at the end of your life, learn to listen to yourself and trust yourself.

In other words, when you have a doubt or a question, take some time for yourself. Sit down with yourself and ask yourself these questions: “What’s important to me? What do I want to do?”

Stop looking for other people’s opinions. Stop listening to other people’s opinions. Only your own really matters!

4 – Try to be happy, really happy

When our day-to-day lives aren’t going well, when we feel sad, suffocated or cramped, we tend to pretend that everything is fine.

In fact, we don’t listen to what’s going on inside us. If our heart is aching in your day-to-day life, it’s because it doesn’t feel right.

But it’s as if we don’t allow ourselves to feel bad, as if we have to feel good at all costs in a situation that doesn’t suit us.

In fact, we’ve always learned not to listen to our feelings.

Yet, on our deathbed, we’ll no longer be able to pretend: “Have we lived a life we’re proud of and grateful for?”

Yes or no?

We can no longer pretend, telling ourselves that it will pass, that we’ll get used to it…

That’s why, to avoid any regrets at the end of your life, I wholeheartedly invite you to always listen to your feelings and give yourself the right to change what doesn’t make you happy.

Don’t stay where your heart doesn’t feel good. Get moving!

5 – Dare to be happy no matter what others think

Sometimes we know what makes us tick, but we don’t dare. We don’t dare do what we have to do to make it happen.

We’re afraid of how others will look at us, afraid of failure, afraid things will change…

So we do nothing.

It’s normal to be afraid. So normal.

In fact, life is all about daring! Yes, you have to dare every day to do what makes you happy.

A life worth living, a life in which we are proud and grateful, is a life in which we dare, more and more every day!

That’s why, if you don’t want to have any regrets at the end of your life, remember that you’re here to dare, to disturb, to disappoint, to make mistakes!

6 – Stop living in the past to avoid regrets

We’re all sometimes imprisoned by the past, but sometimes we’re so trapped in it that it’s only on our deathbed that we realize we’ve wasted our time on a past we could have let go of.

The past is a place to look for lessons, to learn from.

No more, no less.

Once you’ve got the lesson, move on!

Indeed, not having regrets at the end of your life means not living in the past.

7 – Stop being afraid of the future

The future is scary, and that’s normal. Especially since we’ve learned to expect the worst.

But, at the end of our lives, we realize that most of the things we imagined about the future never happened. In other words, it was clearly a waste of time to be afraid of that future.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to change your mindset: instead of expecting the worst, expect the best!

Whatever happens, you’ll be able to cope, so there’s no need to expect the worst.

On the other hand, expecting the best will enable you to move forward, to take action and thus realize your dreams, one by one.

And that’s how you’ll have no regrets at the end of your life.

8 – To avoid regrets, you have to decide to stop grumbling.

How much time do we spend grumbling about the things that go wrong in our lives? (I know something about that, laughs).

Yet we all realize, at one time or another, that grumbling is pointless, and worse, it wastes so much of our time and energy.

That’s why it’s interesting to imagine ourselves on our deathbed: what do we want to remember? Our grumbling?

We’d rather remember our hopes, our smiles and our laughter.

So, to avoid any regrets at the end of your life, I wholeheartedly invite you to transform the negative into the positive!

9 – Bounce back from difficult times

Sometimes we go through difficult times. And that really takes its toll on our morale, and that’s normal.

But we also sometimes drag it out by locking ourselves away in our pain and grief.

In fact, it’s as if we think that because we’re going through a difficult time, we can’t laugh or smile.

What if it were otherwise?

To avoid regrets at the end of our lives, it’s essential to remember that joy is in everything, everywhere, at all times, and that we don’t have to push it away when we’re going through a difficult moment.

We can cry and then laugh in the same minute. That’s what life is all about. So never hold on to grief. That’s not why you’re here.

10 – Not listening to your fatigue and staying at home

Have you noticed that the more we say to ourselves: “I’m tired”, the more tired we become?

And that can really become a problem for some of us, to the point where we stay cooped up at home.

If you’re one of those people (it happens to me at times, laughs), I heartily invite you to imagine yourself on your deathbed: will you remember all those hours on the sofa watching TV? Or will you remember the walks, the evenings out with friends?

It’s all about finding a balance and, above all, observing yourself.

Above all, make sure you don’t fall into the fatigue trap.

What’s more, your dreams need you to get moving! So it’s time to sit up straight, open your eyes wide and take a step towards them. Every day!

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Fear of failure: 10 tips for a serene start to your projects
Discover Never give up on your dreams!: 12 tips for making them come true

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
End-stage cancer-stricken computer science professor Randy Pausch gives his “last lecture” on fulfilling your childhood dreams. The book reflects Randy Pausch’s life lessons and outlook on mortality.
This book is an excellent read that gives you a unique perspective on the end-of-life outlook. For anyone having trouble getting into books, this one is sure to keep you turning the pages.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself