Please note that this is an Archived article and may contain content that is out of date. The use of she/her/hers pronouns in some articles is not intended to be exclusionary. Eating disorders can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights.

Everyone has one life, so it’s important to make yours great. One of the best ways to ensure a great life is to live with no regrets. When looking at your life and deciding how you can make this your mantra, consider the following strategies.

Decide what is Fulfilling for You

Every person is going to have different dreams and desires for themselves. The best way to decide what would help you live a more fulfilling life with no regrets is to ask yourself questions like:

  • What do you wish you had more time to do?
  • Are there relationships you want to mend or people you want to forgive?
  • Do you ever look at certain activities and wish you could do that?
  • Is your career what you truly enjoy?
  • Are there any hobbies you have always wanted to have, but have always been a little out of your comfort zone?

These types of questions will help you realize what mean the most to you. As you try to incorporate this way of thinking, you start living in a way that help you feel fulfilled. The best part is you can keep choosing new questions to help get on a path where you can work to fulfill your dreams.

Set Goals

In order to reach any goal, you must make a specific set of steps to achieve it. Whether it’s wanting to spend more time with family, express your love to those around you more, or shift into a new career- smaller goals, or steps, help you get there. No one can reasonably expect to just go out and jump into a dream job, or suddenly become an expert surfer; instead, start by focusing on the steps (or smaller goals) to achieve them. Each time you reach a smaller goal, you will feel a sense of accomplishment that propels you forward to the next one.

There are a few things that are important to remember about what success looks like with goals:

  • Sometimes steps need to be reevaluated and adjusted.
  • Keep trying. Obstacles are part of life. Pushing through the hard part and not giving up is what sets a champion apart. If you give up on a goal because things get hard, regret is just around the corner.
  • It’s okay if dreams change.

The best part about setting goals is that they can fill you with pride. People who have the most fulfilling lives know that reaching one goal doesn’t mean you’re done improving or reaching for your dreams. Instead, keep choosing new goals so you are always working toward achieving a new goal.

Seize Opportunities

For many people, regret lies in “what might have been”. Rather than looking back wishing things had been different, ask yourself if what you are doing really makes you happy. Are you spending your time doing things that make you happy? Are you investing time into building lasting relationships?

Another great question to ask when opportunities come up is “will I regret NOT doing this later”? It is beneficial to step back and answer this question honestly. Not only does this apply to experiences like trying a new rare food or jumping out of an airplane, but also in life choices like marriage and having kids.

As you search to live a life with no regrets, it’s important to decide what a fulfilled life looks like to you, then choose goals that help you achieve them. Taking an honest look at opportunities and experiences will help you live the most rewarding life possible.