If there is one thing I can’t stand listening to, it is someone who continually reflects back to the things in their life using the “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” as a lament and an attempt to get pity from myself or others.
Truth is, we all have had at least one would’ve, could’ve, should’ve moment in life. This week I want to deal with how we dealt with that and offer a suggestion moving forward.
When working with clients, one of the ideas I love to suggest is the idea of living life without regrets. Sure, there will be things that get missed out on in life, but having a plan, sticking to it, and being unapologetic in your approach and intention is a great set of traits. Wayne Gretsky once famously said, “You miss out on 100% of the shots you don’t take.” When you don’t take the shot, you will miss out creating another would’ve, could’ve, should’ve moment in life.
Granted, not every shot you take ends up being a winner, but that is OK. Life dictates that you need opportunities to learn and sometimes learning comes from taking a shot and failing. But here is the thing, AT LEAST YOU TRIED. You gave it an effort, you made an attempt and my guess is you probably learned a thing or two along the way.
So as we head off into a new week, and a new month. While others around you engage in the Aprils Foolery nonsense, why not be intentional about getting something done in your life. Reflect back on something that you regret not having tried and position yourself to give it a try.
Think about it for a moment, what if a month from now you’ve incorporated 1, 2, maybe 3 or more items that you’ve wanted to accomplish and started actually accomplishing them. If there is one thing I’ve learned in life about the would’ve, could’ve, should’ve mentality, it’s simply this. When you are actively engaged in setting and achieving goals in life, there is very little time left over for remorse for the things you didn’t attempt. Better than that, the reality is as you get engaged those items that you perhaps have shown remorse for not trying may end up being accomplished as you seek to fulfill the things in life you want to accomplish.
The challenge then is very simple. This week - in fact why not start today - make something happen. That’s it. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it?
Let’s meet up again next week and be ready to share what you accomplished.
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