How to Never Regret a Decision Again

“Do you regret going to law school?” I get this all the time.

Why would I waste a single second regretting something I can’t change? 

No matter how much I replay it, beat myself up, blame other people, think about how much better my life would be if I didn’t go...

It won’t change the fact that I went to law school. 

So instead of wasting my time on something I can’t change, I focus on what I want to do with my life from here on out. 

That doesn’t mean that I can’t learn from my past decisions.

I look back and evaluate why I choose to go:

➤ where was I abandoning myself for other people’s approval?

➤ where was I seeking validation instead of listening to my gut?

➤ where was I simply doing what I was told instead of questioning it?

I do all of that so that I can make better decisions in the future.

But that doesn’t mean I ever spend the time regretting my decision.

Because it is done.

And I had my reasons (even if I wouldn’t choose those reasons now).

And I can have self-compassion for the old me who didn’t know any better.

And I gain nothing by torturing myself with regret.

Because regret comes from a thought.

The thought: “If I hadn’t made that decision, my life would be so much better.”

And that’s a lie.

I have no idea how my life would have turned out.

So I choose not to think that thought.

And you can choose the same thing. 

Because regret is a choice.