Garyvee got it right: The biggest poison in us – regret.
But I feel it’s super-tricky.
Regret is not an immediate consequence of your actions. You do or don’t do something today, & MAYBE you’ll end up regretting it years later. I feel it’s problematic because it prevents learning from the feedback of your own life.
To live a regretless life, to me, you have to learn from other people’s lives as much as your own.
An example from my storybook, I had the wrong perception of productivity. It’s something I still struggle with.
I always thought that to be productive, I needed to do & achieve something constantly. If I wasn’t working on SOMETHING, I must not be working hard enough.
This led to much self-imposed stress, criticism, self sabotage, & anxiety. Plus, I wasted time & energy addressing burnout.
I later learned from the book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport that productivity doesn’t mean “doing.” It means less mental clutter that automatically translates into quality actions & habits.
As an experiment, I started deleting my to-dos that I didn’t like or necessarily have “to-do” to eliminate mental chaos.
The major benefit I gained from my not-to-do list: increased clarity & mental stability by reducing guilt & overwhelm.
It also improved my connections with clients, coworkers, friends, & family because it prevented me from making empty promises & over commitments.
In a nutshell, I saved time, freedom, energy, inner peace, & creativity — the most treasured resources.
So here’s what I wished I had given up earlier. Share these with your inner circle!
What would you add to your list?
oxox Coach K