You already have a few regrets, but there are ways to help ensure you have far fewer of them over the rest of your life. There are few things more tragic than looking back over your life and wishing you had lived a life that was dramatically different. Now is the time to seize control of your future.

You can live a life that will fill you with smiles rather than regret!

Try these techniques:

1. Make a list of everything you want to see and do in your lifetime. A big part of avoiding regret is doing and seeing the things you most want to see and do. Avoid waiting to accomplish those things. No one ever said you can’t learn to skateboard at age 60, but it would easier and safer to do at 20.
2. Focus. Many regrets are the result of failing to direct your life toward something specific. Making decisions can be scary, because they seem so final. But if you never make up your mind, you’ll never do anything. Decide what’s most important to you and get busy.
   
3. Avoid wasting time. Along with indecisiveness, we waste hours each day. Between TV, the internet, cellphones, and rehashing the same stories over and over with friends, we fail to make the most of each day. Time is constantly slipping away!
   
4. Set goals. Goals require decision and focus. Set goals and spend your time in pursuit of their achievement. By setting and achieving the goals that are important to you, you can avoid most regret later in life.
   
5. Avoid settling. Maybe you wanted to be a doctor but decided that being a nurse was easier. Or you’ve always wanted to go live in Rome but settled on Miami. Settling results in that gnawing feeling that you can never completely shake. Have faith in yourself and stick to your guns about things that matter to you.
   
6. Be bold. A life lived safely and meekly is a life that ends in regret. Being bold can result in fear and uncertainty. You can also create significant challenges for yourself, but you’ll look back on your life with a smile at the end.
7. If in doubt, do it. You’re more likely to regret the things you haven’t done than the things you did. Mistakes are better than not knowing. Give something a try and find out for yourself.
   
8. Avoid taking life too seriously. You’ll get more enjoyment from life and do more if you can live your life with a light touch. Enjoy yourself.
   
9. Get used to being uncomfortable. Living a daring and exciting life is uncomfortable at times. An inability to deal with feeling uncomfortable is a leading cause of regret.
   
10. Look forward. Why start feeling regretful now by looking backwards? Look ahead and plan a future that fulfills you. What future do you want to live? What past do you want to be able to look back on in your old age?

Fear is the leading cause of a regretful life. Taming your fear is the most important step to a satisfying life. Be bold and make some big decisions. Set some audacious goals and pursue them vigorously. Learn to be uncomfortable now, to avoid regret later.

You can live a life that leads to satisfaction instead of regret. Decide to start today!