About this quote

Regret often arrives quietly, the result of chances we let slip without trying. Ask yourself which postponed thing will sting when you look back years from now. Name one of those postponements and do a single concrete step toward it this week. Small, steady actions cut the space between wanting and actually living. Own the next choice; it's the only way to avoid that ache.

When to use it

• At work, I almost turned down the relocation offer for comfort, then I thought, 'Will I be sorry I didn't try this career move in ten years?' and decided to go.
• Before skipping my daughter's recital for another shift, I told my manager I needed the night off because I don't want to look back and regret missing it.
• Standing at the trailhead before the big hike, I reminded myself I've been postponing this climb for years and told my friend, 'Let's just start—no more waiting.'
• We'd been saving for a 'someday' trip; I booked the tickets and said to my partner, 'If we keep saving forever we'll regret never having gone.'