Minimizing Regret

I believe that one of my jobs as a parent is to minimize regret. This is what is behind my compulsive use of sunscreen and bicycle helmet for my son. We all make choices everyday: for ourselves, for our children, for our loved ones and for the greater community. And I began to think…many of these choices are small. How many little choices could ever cause me regret?

Would I ever regret being two minutes late leaving for work to have one more hug from my son? Or reading one more story at bedtime? Would I ever regret the time I spent watching caterpillars turn first into chrysalids and then into butterflies?

Is there possibly a time when I would regret saying Thank you, I love you or Goodbye? Would the minutes I gained by turning off the TV be missed if I spent them with my husband, with a book or in developing a passion of mine? Could the time spent preparing a will ever be considered a waste? 

And if I wanted to help another, could I ever regret giving blood? Reaching out to someone who needed comfort? Is it possible to regret donating those used items that only take up space in my garage? Is there something I would think I should have done instead of volunteering for an hour or calling an old friend?

Will I look back at my life someday and regret eating broccoli? An occasional cookie? Would I regret the workout at the gym or the time spent bringing that idea in the corner of my brain to life? 

Could I ever regret recycling? What if I looked back and realized that I could have helped to save a species simply by shopping more responsively? Is it possible that I would ever wish that I hadn’t measured my words before speaking or attempted to reconcile with a family member? Will I ever think that I shouldn’t have planted that tree?

These are mostly small things that have the potential to create large impact on myself, on another, on the world. And isn’t that the Every Monday Matters movement? Small changes that make a big difference? Just imagine your impact if you also passed larger decisions through the regret test. What choices would you make? What impact could you have?

What would happen if you worked more or worked less? Saved your pennies for a rainy day or loosened the purse strings? What if you spoke up or stayed quiet? What if you saw the world or just more of your own backyard? What could you do if you worked with a team or all by yourself? Would you ever regret doing what is popular? How about if you just did what is right?

Some regret is simply unavoidable. Not everything is within our ability to choose or affect. But what if we looked at the things that we do daily and fast forwarded a period of time and had the chance to look back? What would you wish that you had done?

Yes, me too. So go do it.