Prioritize your authentic desires and values over external expectations to avoid deep regret at the end of life, as this foundational choice influences other life areas.
Embrace the reality of your own death as the fundamental first step to truly living, appreciating life more fully, and gaining courage for your choices.
Give yourself explicit permission to pursue happiness, recognizing that you deserve it and that this internal validation is crucial for a contented life.
Regularly schedule “unplanned time” with no agenda, treating this space as essential “medicine” for improved efficiency, clarity, and overall well-being.
When making decisions or reacting to situations (e.g., uncredited work), prioritize the broader impact of your actions over ego-driven needs for validation or credit.
Before making decisions, consciously consider the “price” of each choice, focusing not just on financial costs but also on the invaluable time and energy it will demand from you.
Develop strong family communication, cultivate a sense of humor to laugh at mistakes and not take life too seriously, and foster a belief in something greater than yourself (spiritual or religious faith) to live a life with fewer regrets.
Cultivate the crucial skill of regularly re-evaluating your choices, behaviors, and priorities, recognizing that what works at one stage of life may not work at another.
Actively challenge the common assumption that you will always have ample time in the future to reflect and make significant life changes, as life is unpredictable.
Consciously choose to opt out of societal or industry norms (e.g., continuous content creation) that you perceive as leading directly to burnout, prioritizing your well-being and desired lifestyle instead.
Ensure your identity and life satisfaction are not solely tied to your work, cultivating other passions and relationships so you have meaning and purpose beyond your profession.
Start by taking even a few hours off work each week or fortnight to honor a personal craving (e.g., family time, hobby), as this commitment can lead to life supporting you with more space and a better life.
When faced with unchangeable difficult life situations, focus on adapting your own perception and internal responses to find acceptance and peace.
Invest in and nurture your significant relationships (e.g., with spouse, children) as these connections contribute significantly to your happiness and peaceful presence in the world.
Adopt a humble perspective on your work, acknowledging that you are a messenger influenced by many sources, which can reduce ego-driven frustration when your work is shared without credit.
Seek direct exposure to death (e.g., through palliative care volunteering, or being present with dying loved ones) to gain a profound understanding of life’s impermanence, which can help you let go of “empty achieving” and prioritize what’s truly important.
Actively cultivate intergenerational connections, whether with family, neighbors, or community, to gain a richer, more holistic perspective on life’s different stages and experiences.
Learn to live gently and honor your personal limits (e.g., prioritizing sleep, avoiding overloaded days) not as an excuse for laziness, but as a strategy to show up well and perform optimally.
Actively seek and find gratitude in your current life circumstances, as cultivating this mindset is a foundational step towards living a life free of regret.
Maintain communication and expressions of love to family members with cognitive decline (e.g., Alzheimer’s), as moments of clarity or the feeling of love can still be received, even if they cannot articulate a reply.
If your job demands unsustainable hours (e.g., 60+ hours/week) to the point of threatening your employment if you reduce them, consider if you are in the wrong job and seek alternatives that allow for a healthier life.
If you feel overwhelmed by the “micro busyness of the tech world,” take intentional, extended breaks from social media and digital platforms to realign with your values and well-being.
After completing a project, intentionally create a gap before starting the next, trusting that it’s okay not to have immediate plans and that you will survive and find your next direction.
Cultivate trust that your message or work will find its intended audience, reducing the need for constant vigilance over attribution and allowing you to focus on creation.
Cultivate readiness to receive messages about necessary life changes, as sometimes a message needs to be articulated in a specific way or at the right time to truly resonate and prompt action.
Be aware that societal metrics of success (e.g., followers, possessions) often do not correlate with genuine happiness, and question if you are pursuing culturally incentivized goals that don’t truly serve you.
Regularly reflect on the top five regrets of the dying to identify areas in your own life where you might be heading towards similar regrets, prompting proactive change.
Recognize that external opinions only hold power if you grant it, as your self-judgment at life’s end is what truly matters.