Tuesday, March 8, 2005

Early regrets

Regret would be a wonderful thing if it came earlier. If you could feel the bitter sting of regret before making the choices that would cause that regret, you’d be powerfully persuaded to make better choices.

The biggest regrets usually result from missed opportunities. Feeling those particular regrets early would encourage you to make the most of your possibilities.

Yet in the real world, regret is experienced only after it’s too late to avoid. Even so, there is something you can do to make regret a positive and powerful influence in your life.

You can use your mind to imagine regret in advance. By doing so, you can benefit from regret’s lessons without suffering from its pain.

Before taking action, or before passing up an opportunity, travel in your mind into the future. Find the choice that would cause no regret, and then make that choice.

By imagining your regrets far enough in advance, you can avoid them completely. And that’s a strategy you’ll never regret.

— Ralph Marston

Avoid the urgency       The power of discipline

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