Many people who have reached retirement age may look back on their lives and wish that they had done things differently. In more cases than not, people who felt one way in their younger years felt significantly different as they faced the end of their lives.
To avoid making the same mistakes and having the same regrets as others before you, it helps to look at what some of the most common regrets people have at the end of their lives.
Working Too Much
Many people work extremely long hours in an attempt to provide for their families. However, what you might see as putting bread on the table now, may lead to regret later down the road. Ideally, your job should provide a balance between your family life and your work life. Working too much to provide for your family is hardly worth it when you’re sacrificing precious moments with them.
Not Spending Enough Time With Family
The number one biggest regret that people have is not having spent enough time with the people that they love most, their family. As many as 80% of senior citizens felt that they wish they had been more present when spending time with their loved ones. Above all, they wish that they had made it more known how much they truly cared about them.
This serves as a powerful lesson that you should prioritize spending time with people you love, even if it feels like they’ll be around forever.
Not Being The Best Parent
Many care workers have found that senior citizens frequently expressed regret in the way that they parented their children. Even though not many people can say they are perfect parents, it helps to try and be as good of a parent as you can. The last thing you want to do is look back on your life and feel like you could have done something more. Remember, your children will be there for you at the end of your life. Treat them well now to make sure that you still have a good relationship when you need them most.
Not Traveling More
A lot of people feel like they spent so much time focusing on what they should be doing instead of what they would like to be doing, that they wind up missing out on opportunities like travel. The truth is that even though many people feel like they have their whole lives to travel, it goes by faster than you think. Make sure that you prioritize seeing the world. Make a list of all the places you want to travel and make it happen!