We’ve all made mistakes in life and bad choices that we regret, from the silly and hilarious to the more serious. It’s what makes us human, you might argue…
Interestingly, as The Conversation explains, “there are basically two ways to experience regret: One is what researchers refer to as the action path and the other is the inaction path. That is, we can regret the things we did – or we can regret the things we did not do.”
Although life does not have an undo button ready to erase the mistakes we make in life, you can focus on making the right choices now (sorry if we misled you with our title). With this in mind, here are some IDEAL ways to undo a handful of life’s most common mistakes and regrets.
Getting A Bad Tattoo
Getting a tattoo usually falls into two camps; a brave and bold decision or an ill considered, impulsive one. Regardless of how your ink happened, we commend you for this act of physical, creative self-expression.
And though tattoos are often viewed as a mistake later down the line, isn’t that part of the beauty of getting one? Whether it’s just one doodle or a sleeve full of them, they tell a story of a time and place in your life, which is pretty precious, don’t you think?
That said, if you’re now regretting that tattoo, rest assured that you’re not the only one. As reported in the Washington Post, tattoo regret feeds a “booming industry that earlier this year was on track to reach $4.8 billion by 2023.”
Yep, people end up regretting their tattoos for a whole host of reasons, but, fortunately, whether you’re a 90’s child who got Chinese letters and a Celtic symbol tattooed on their back, or got the initials of an ex on your inner wrist, a tattoo removal clinic can help.
The most commonly sought method of tattoo removal is laser surgery. Laser surgery works by targeting the ink pigment with high-intensity light beams. Dermabrasion is another popular method of tattoo removal. works by removing the top layer of skin, which contains the tattoo pigment and involves using a rotating wire brush or diamond wheel to sand the tattoo away. As you can imagine from that description, this method is fairly painful and can cause scarring – so do your research thoroughly prior to any procedure.
Not Going To University & Getting A Degree
Did you know that 65% of people have regrets about going to University? Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, these regret aren’t as often about the £1 sambuca shots and cringeworthy moments that followed as you’d imagine, but rather about the actual degree itself.
Indeed, “regrets ranged from not feeling they ‘got ahead’ of their peers by doing a degree, choosing a subject unrelated to the career they are now in and (a biggie) because of how much it cost” reports the Metro. Rest assured; if you’re one of the people who regret not going to uni, rest assured that people on the other side have regrets, too.
While not everyone needs a university degree to get on in life, for some careers a degree is obviously essential. Moreover, being a university graduate does broaden your options and with the right course, university can open up all kinds of doors. If you’ve fallen into the trap of thinking it’s too late to go to university, think again; it’s increasingly common for people to study later on in life. Moreover, being a mature student has its own unique benefits.
Consider the Open University – a learning institution offering degrees with low or no entry requirements. Alternatively, lots of unis offer online degree options where you can study independently, in your own time, backed up with academic support and direction from relevant universities.
Messing Up Your Credit Score
Credit agencies, those multi-million pound, privately owned, for-profit, omnipresent companies that lurk in the shadows of everyday life for millions of people, can be a bit of a pain.
Like a stalker, they follow us everywhere, keeping an eye on how we spend, and ultimately, how we live our lives. They have the power to make or break your prospects, regardless of circumstance or the filing mistakes of others.
While we think that there’s something fundamentally wrong with the way credit card agencies operate, many of us have made mistakes with our credit. Rest assured; if you have fair or poor credit, you are not alone. In fact, 18 million Brits are consistently doing damage to theirs with careless spending and a naive approach to their cards.
You may well know that having a score this low can get in the way of getting a mortgage, loan or even phone contract. But what you might now know is that improving your credit score can be fairly simple. Check out our tips on doing just that here, and remember that a colourful life is often one that’s been especially well lived.
Following Someone Else’s Dream
Did your parents always want you to be a doctor but you hate blood and feel queasy at the sight of it, but you became one anyway just to please them? Or, perhaps your partner wanted to open a bacon butty stall to sell at festivals, but you can’t stand camping and don’t eat meat?
If you have a deep-seated passion that you’re not living because of someone else, be it a partner or parent, let us tell you now you’re never too old to nurturer your ambition and be in charge of your own destiny. Moreover, there is no such thing as a job for life.
While those oft repeated cliche sayings like Walt Disney’s “if you can dream it, you can do it” and Audrey Hepburn’s “nothing is impossible. The word itself says, ‘I’m possible!’” make us feel a little queasy, we’re going to repeat them, anyway…
Whether you’re an aspiring novelist or dream of opening your own boutique hotel, if you dream it, you can do it
Following your dream is, of course, to be commended, but it’s a decision that needs to be taken with a supplementary dose of realism. So, instead of handing in your notice before you’ve even considered the finer details of your ambitions, have a contingency plan in place to ensure you don’t suffer financially from your choices. You don’t want to regret following your passion, after all.
Burning Bridges
“Don’t burn bridges” is something we are often warned about by those older and wiser than us. But it’s a mistake we often make both personally and professionally.
“Burning a bridge may feel great at the time”, writes Fast Company, and “can be the easy way out of an awkward situation, a release of pent-up anger, a chance to let your emotions take over – but the ashes can follow you”.
All is not lost; if you’ve damaged a relationship and regret how it all played out, whether the bridge is still smouldering or it burned down a long time ago, it is possible to rebuild and start again.
The hardest part of repairing a damaged relationship is making the first move. It’s not just about offering an olive branch; you have to take responsibility before you can move on. Here are some steps you can take to mend that bridge:
- Make the first move and be sincere
- Admit you were wrong and keep the finger pointing to a minimum
- Listen – really, really listen and accept feedback
- Seek forgiveness and be willing to compromise
- Don’t dwell on problems and the past
Even if your efforts to repair the relationship fail, at least you know you’ve tried. And that’s something.
Not Taking a Gap Year
Not many regret having taken a gap year; even the ones that don’t go quite to plan can be looked back on fondly as a character building experience. However, plenty of people regret not having taken one.
There’s a saying that “youth is wasted on the young’’, and when it comes to a gap year spent travelling when you’re fresh out of school, this is very often true.
Indeed, while taking time out to travel is a teenage rite of passage, it’s all too often wasted on nights in South East Asia looking for bargain Bintang buckets and Full Moon parties, or slumming it interrailing through Europe trying to live off one Euro a day.
So, if you’re regretting not taking a gap year, embrace the rise of the ‘adult’ gap year. There are lots of companies catering for this group, uniting like-minded solo travellers in their 30s and 40s who are at the same stage in life with the same desire to travel the world. Get involved!
Not Living Abroad
Have you ever wanted to leave everything behind and start anew somewhere totally different? To say goodbye to your physical and emotional baggage, revise your career path, and embrace the endless possibilities of life?
Many people flirt with the idea of spending a part of their lives living in a different country, only to dismiss the notion as absurd and unworkable with any attempt to put it into practice. All too often all it takes is a reflection on the comforts of home, and friends and family they’d be leaving behind, to extinguish the flame before it’s even been lit.
According to HR News, two thirds of British workers dream of moving abroad. If you’re one of those people who have always dreamt of moving abroad there’s no time like the present. Let us direct you to our article on some great tips for making a seamless move abroad – you (probably) won’t regret it!
