“Live a life with no regrets.”
Sounds more like a cat poster than realistic advice, doesn’t it?
After all, nobody’s perfect, and there’s always something that we would have done differently about our lives had we known what we know now. Hindsight is 20/20.
So asking someone to live a regret-free life is ridiculous…isn’t it?
Think again. This infographic by Happify demonstrates why you should actually listen to that cat poster.
According to Happify, 90% of people regret something major in their lives–usually pertaining to romance, family, education, career, or finance, in that order.
In fact, so many people regret the same things that there was actually a study done on it (which we covered in this article).
And you know that quote “It’s better to look back and think ‘I can’t believe I did that,’ than ‘I wish I did that'”? Well, it’s true–most people regret things that they hadn’t done, rather than giving in to pleasures and whims of their heart.
The infographic point out that, contrary to popular belief, there is a point of regret. Regret helps us avoid making mistakes, fix mistakes we’ve already made, and make sense of our past choices.
However, though they are natural and commonplace, the infographic also points out why you should let go of your regrets–and how to do it.
If you wish you could go back in time and change a few (or maybe a lot) of choices, read this infographic. Everybody experiences regret at some point in their life. And you’ll see below that you’re not alone–that your regret is likely one that many people all around the world share.
Check out these tips on how to not only let go, but prevent it in the future, so that you’re living a happy, healthy, regret-free life (hooray, cat posters).
Featured photo by Ed Yourdon