5 Things People Regret at the End of Retirement 

I retired at 57. As far as friends and all these relationships, I'm an introvert and I'm not comfortable with a bunch of friends around. I have friends from years in the Army but I'm not one to need to stay closely in touch. Society says there is something wrong with me. No, this is the way I am and I am just fine. I have an Army pension of 24 years and healthcare with money I've invested in the bank. I have my beautiful wife and Golden Retriever and that's all I need. We're headed out for a 3 month trip in our Revel van next week. Don't let people or books define what happiness means to you. You can't get happiness from self help books.

I retired at 62 and am 64 now. I dont have a spouse anymore, dont have friends to do stuff with. I dont have a house, I live in an apartment. I dont have money. And worst of all, my son (my only child) died a couple of months ago. BUT I have MY LIFE to live. I enjoy waking up, reasonably healthy. Im not on any medications. I dont go to doctors. I have my son's two pet cats and they are my companions. I can do whatever I want when I wake up. I can take as long as I want to make breakfast, drink that cup of coffee, watch the birds and squirrels, go take photos, organize my stuff, do word searches, or go to the community center. I am enjoying the FREEDOM to own my day rather than my employer telling me WHAT to do, HOW to do it, WHEN to eat and for HOW long to break. THAT in and of itself is worth its weight in gold. Retirement ROCKS and I do not regret it for one millisecond!

My 94 yo aunt said nobody dies saying they regret not working more. Hospice nurses say people didn’t regret what they did in life, they regretted what they didn’t do

Keeping in touch with friends should work both ways. If they make no effort then it is not a friendship worth pursuing.

All the regret that you mentioned are nothing to do with retirement. Its about the people how they lead their life . I don’t have any regrets retiring at 56 as Nurse . I was in so demand in professional area . I was not lazy one ; I did it honestly for 35 plus years . Don’t be afraid to retire . Don’t die in your job . You are not that important; they will replace you same day . Retire early if you can financially…Live your life

My husband had a demanding job. So despite working myself I did all the shopping, cooking and cleaning. After we both retired I took a stand. No more cooking or shopping. I was fine with a sandwich at dinner. The result: he now does all the shopping and cooking. I still do the cleaning. Yea!!!!!😂😂😂😀😀😀😀👋👋👋👋👋

I retired 7 years ago. Zero regrets so far and I don't expect to have regrets anytime soon. My secret? I call it planning. If you like your weekends, if you like your vacations the you will love retirement. So far I have had 7 years of endless weekends and endless vacations. Tell me, what could be better than that?

I retired at 62. No regrets...but stay busy, and health is way more important than money and possessions.

Worked for 35 long yrs. Retired 2015 & I’m 67 yrs. old now. Enjoying every minute of it. Praying everyday to live longer so I can do all the things that I didn’t do back then. Life is good.

Excellent advice. I retired six years ago at age 61 and many of my colleagues were surprised when I announced my retirement. I had two friends, both several years older than me, who kept working then within a year of retiring, became ill and died. Neither of them got to enjoy their retirement. It was a wake-up call for me because I was routinely working 50-60 hours a week and checking emails all weekend. I decided that I would regret continuing to work just to build up my bank account. I also realized that good health is not a given despite the fact that I exercise regularly. Six years on, my wife and I are happy with our retirement. We've been able to travel, go bike riding, play tennis, enjoy time with our children and friends, and enjoy the flexibility to do things when we want without being tied to a work schedule.

I am 66 and plan on "refocusing" next year. But there's a purpose in life beyond ourselves that my faith calls me to❤

Frankly, I got tired of always being the one who called and not the one who was called. Once I stopped calling, that was the end. That's not a "golden friendship," that's hardly a friendship at all.

I am 90 and retired 30 years ago My hubby and I worked hard and bought up 4 wonderful children and bought our own house after we finished work we bought a caravan and every summer travelled the country after my dear hubby passed away 6 years ago I joined a knit and knitter group and attend coffee mornings have made new friends it's a quieter life not so hectic but am quite happy and can look back and say I have had a good life in fact an excellent life 😂

Excellent video. Thank you. I retired at 65. Now at 68. I'm having so much fun. I'm busier now that ever. I have projects that I love. I wake up at 5 AM and I'm excited to start my day. I also go to the gym for 3 to 5 days a week and exercise 2 hours each one of those days. Staying healthy is priority one for me. Retirememt is the best thing ever. I love the freedom it provides me. Life is good.

The one big thing I learned in marketing is the power of regret is and how easy to manipulate others with it. Things like "limited time offer" and "don't miss out..." in ads are designed around regret avoidance. As I hate to be influenced so that others can make a few bucks, I trained myself to reject regret. I learned to look at everything I do and don't do without any feeling of regret. If I did something wrong, I apologize, make up for it, and don't do it again. If I don't do something, I trust that I have spent my time and energy on other meaningful pursuits, and I may still do whatever it is later. There are literally a million things I have not done, yet I have never missed out on anything in life.

Retired in 2013 after a wonderful career in the chemical industry. Served my country with a four year hitch in the Marines from 1965-69, including a 13 month tour in Vietnam as a “grunt”. Came home and thankful to be alive. Have never taken a day since for granted. Went to college and did well. Always wanted to work with kids and became substitute teacher in middle school. Worked in the public schools for six years and now work in a private school. I am also on the trustee committee. Coach the basket ball team too. In the summer I work three days a week at the town beach. Can’t wait to get to work every day at both jobs. No real regrets. Made some mistakes when I was younger, but who doesn’t throughout their life. Raised with nothing and now I have everything. Great wife. Very successful children and grand children who love me dearly. Serving in Vietnam taught me one important thing; don’t sweat the small stuff, because it’s all small stuff.

Thank you, James, for a wonderful presentation. I retired 10 months ago from a 33-year teaching career at age 59 and have absolutely no regrets. I’m happy and healthy by nature, so that goes a long way in life. What I enjoy about my retirement is FREEDOM. I’ve always managed money well thus the house and two sports cars are paid off. Also, no CC debt. Some of my passions that fill my days: visits to the gym followed by the sauna, mountain biking, movie-going, screenwriting (I’ve written 7 feature scripts- some have been national award winners), attending film festivals where my scripts have been nominated- Beverly Hills, CA, Richmond, VA, Block Island, RI) and looking forward to more travel destinations. Retirement: Where EVERY day is Saturday!! : )

We all make choices in life there is no perfect life, there is just life.

At the end of retirement you don’t regret anything

Retired after teaching for 32 years. I picked up a part time job to help transition from so much structure. I absolutely love this job! Then I picked up a short term subbing job to help a friend with cancer. Working in his classroom is also really nice. I’ll “retire” again in a few months. Right now, my living intentionally is to spread more positivity and happiness in daily contacts. Life is good!

I’m 65 and retired last year. I vividly recall in the 1980s I worked for a major chemical company and I would look around at colleagues in middle and upper management working 7 days a week 12 hours a day. Yes, they were making more dollars per year then I but when I informed one of them they were working for $5.00 per hour he was shocked. I made a decision a long time ago to do my work and do my best but to never sacrifice my life for the company store. If I wanted extra fast money I would cut a couple lawns in the evening. Tax free pleasant work. I always saved 15% and lived below my means. I witnessed through the years countless middle and upper managers drop dead at 50 years of age and all the family got was a fruit basket from the company.

I retired 16 years ago. Initially I had no regrets. Then my husband's dementia advanced to a point that he became violent and we separated. I went to live with my sister, but went 3 days a week to care for my husband's needs. Shopping, cooking, bill paying, etc.. Then he got cancer. The day after I brought him home from a 12 day stay in the hospital he committed suicide. While I was there in his apartment. Then, 1 1/2 years later my sister died. Her home, where I lived, went to her daughter so I left the state and moved in with my brother. A few months after that his 43 year old son, my nephew, due to diabetes, passed out in the shower and drowned in 2 inches of water. In all the time I was dealing with tragedy I foolishly spent all of my money and went into $24,000 credit card debt. Gambling. Now I have regrets. My advice to others is no matter what, don't use credit cards. They eat you alive.

In retirement one of my greatest pleasures is sitting on the park bench enjoying the weather and a good book. LOL. I used to do this as a teen, except then I would climb up in the tree and read the book there. My tree climbing days are past me! My other great pleasure is meeting folks online. I've met some good folks this way. Hard to find the time for both of these activities when working full time.

As a person of faith I have zero regrets b/c I don''t believe this is all there is.

I’ve had the happiest 5 1/2 years of my life since I retired even though my family believed I was going to need mental help after I retired because I was happy working. Surprise 🎉 Now I’m happier than before.

My wife and I are 68 years old, semiretired but still working part time in our beloved medical fields for over 40 years. Have very few regrets (no one has NO regrets). We absolutely don't need the income but still enjoy helping people. Point number 4 (stayed in touch) was difficult for us as we moved a lot during the past 40 years. We find this balance between fun trips, part time work, and involvement in our church is the perfect combination in our current status.

Thank you. Zero regret so far, retired 3 years ago at 63 Told my grumpy son to buy himself a studio flat and move out and he did. My daughter's kid is look after by her maid , I occasionally look after him. I am free and easy , travelling, cruising, foodie, shopping, library, writing, reading, meeting friends . No need any maintenance from anybody. Got my health insurance to cover me 90%. Already set aside a sum of money for my future nursing home care. Live life the way you want for the remaining of your years on earth. I don't do social media except WhatsApp . Am a loner by nature. Cannot stand noisy chatter and crowd. Have only 3 good friends and 2 brothers who are soul mates. Life is finite don't waste it living on someone else's term.

I think that if you work your career with the "I don't want to work so hard" attitude in your 20's, 30's 40's, then you probably are not going to make the money that you need to earn, to get into the position of being able to retire comfortably and have these reflections

I’ve been retired near 16 years now, have sufficient funds, have various friend groups from church, family and rekindled older relationships…however my biggest regret is not spending more time with family and friends…a person cannot get “time” back…thank you for this video as it does help underline what’s really important in life…

I like that: "None of this is important if the end goal is not to make you happier." Act with the end goal in mind. So important.

I need to optimize my life and stop watching so many of these videos. This will give me more time with my family.

The greatest regret you will have even if you lived a life of kindness and love is wasting your life on toxic people and environments. From someone who died and came back on operating table. Secondly dont wait for retirement to live your passions. Life is short so live every day as if it was your last.

30 years ago I worked in Accounts Payable & recall delivery 3 retirement cheques for a kind local many. He had $100K+ on unused sick leave. He was paid out plus Long Service Leave, Annual Leave & other benefits. He was kind & loyal to the company so worked as volunteer retirement liaison. Sadly he died a few years later from cancer. Another man I knew retired early & was very tight fisted - he later developed Parkinsons & whilst he was tight fisted - his kids spent his millions in months.

The flip side of this is that these regrets imagine an alternative past that may not actually have worked out the way we wished. I have tried to maintain and reboot some friendships, but people's circumstances change and people change. My great friend from the 1990s was a great friend because we were in similar places with similar reactions to things and sharing our thoughts was fun and helpful. Since then, things have happened to each of us and the commonalities are not there any more.

The 5 reasons starts at 2:40. They don't apply to me for the most part. I retired at 52, I don't care what others think, and I spend my time doing what makes me happy. This is the one and only life we will ever have so time is our most valuable asset. Don't waste it. If you are doing something you don't need to be doing and don't enjoy doing you are wasting your precious time. Also focus on your health and body to extend that time and to make sure it is quality time. I am in the best shape of my life and expect to live past 100 (with some luck).

My comment will probably not resonate with the western viewers but here goes…….I am a Healthcare Professional,Asian,happy,and no regrets,absolutely! Migrated(chosen) to America under the Exchange Visitor Program back in the day. Worked VERY hard by choice with a mindset to be able to help my family back home.THIS mindset MADE me happy. Did not fancy going out every weekend to bars and nightclubs,buying stuff and following trends. Simple were my needs which included some travel with friends who were like me. Saved money which eventually paved the way to the education of my two children, who both have their Masters Degrees and now have their own adorable children. Now in retirement,I have no debts whatsoever and simple is still my need. My health is pretty good for my age and I am happy just being around family most specially my gorgeous grandchildren! So,you see,life is what we make it!

We heard these regrets many decades ago from friends and family that were dying. It jolted me to think and act differently. Since learning them, I can safely say we live our lives for ourselves. Doesn't mean we don't do or help others, but we do those things because we want and like to. I Stopped working hard many moons ago. Changed jobs over the years to get away from dangerous or hazardous work and glad I did looking at some of my friends who stayed with a career path and are all used up in their 50s. Feelings and staying in touch with old friends is important as we have that plugged in. Have regular meet ups, dinner, grilling out, yard party, game nights..just all kinds of fun to stay engaged with people. The point about happiness we feel is true. But about half the people I speak to or know scoff at the notion that you can CHOOSE to be happy. It's a choice. They see it as random events that have to happen to you in order for life to be happy. They see it as external instead of internal controls that cause happiness or not. I tell my doctor every year while getting my checkup when he asks how are things going, any stress, etc. Just a well being, mental health checkin part of the visit and I always tell him. "Doc, if I died right here on this table, right now. I die a happy and contented man". I know my wife has plenty to see her through the rest of her days without fail. Daughter is off and doing well on her own. We have traveled and seen great things, had great experiences, great friends and family, always learning new things, and the list goes on. Just going to do more of those things before the last toc of the clock.

Planning for retirement, I had too many regrets, I stop wasting time, I start to be energetic, enjoy my life at this moment.

I just watched this video. I can honestly say that I don't have any of those regrets. I have done all those things in my life. I guess because I died when I was 17. It profoundly changed my outlook on life. I learned that every day is a gift and tomorrow is not guaranteed. I have lived my life like every day is my last. I am not afraid of death. I understand it!

I lived a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. I once worked like a beast for $1.15 an hour. At age 71 I have never married and have lived alone on one tiny income. Life passed me by and I always wanted to be rich. I will die alone. May Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

Well done, I am impressed and proud of you for sharing this as part of our navigating finances and life. I too am a nurse, she did well with the book, it’s so true. Taking care of thousands of people (Oncology and Preop) made me realize in the beginning to listen and learn… my huge takeaway, thanks for my patient’s teaching and experience… Live life to the fullest; LIVE LOVE LAUGH! Find your purpose and do it with JOY! On the end… have NO REGRETS. Blessings to all… 🙏🏼💝

Avoid negative people. Family, coworkers etc. Any age bracket. Don’t get brainwashed into buying stuff you don’t need and going into debt. I don’t need 20 coats and a $70,000 car every 3 years. That’s it. Life is good. 😊

nice message! this requires people to set aside focused time to deeply contemplate on each of the items you covered, in order to truly 'feel' what it means to them and then to do something about it.. to get disciplined about their action plan... otherwise, it gets forgotten quickly. glad to see you served as yet another reminder in peoples lives to help put 'money' into proper perspective so they aren't so full of regrets later.

I loved what I did at work - the travel, the working with so many others, the feeling that I could buy whatever I needed during the last 10 years or so before retirement. But I noticed that breaking away from the "norm" can be so difficult for many coworkers who reach 65. They just cannot fathom spending money that is not consistently replenished. Many retire only after they have a medical condition that forces them to retire. Sadly, the condition often limits them from fully enjoying a retirement of freedom, freedom to do what they always wanted to do, but couldn't because they had to work every day. Allocate time to enjoy life, help others who are less fortunate, and help yourself be healthy and live a long life. Of course, you need to prepare for retirement, well in advance by saving, exercising, and eating healthy foods.

Thank you James, I learn so much from you and your videos. You have a lot of wisdom and financial know how to share, and I appreciate how you tie in other aspects of retirement, such as the topics discussed in this video, instead of just focusing on the numbers. I have worked for three decades as an educator, and I have very little to regret. I came out of the closet in high school, in order to live true to myself,. I have kept in touch with the people who matter most to me, and I have taken advantage of my time off as a teacher to travel much of the world. I live a relatively simple life. One of the most important things I've learned from you over the last couple years has been to retire as soon as I can afford to do it, instead of when it's expected of me. As I approach 55, I am planning to do just that. I don't want to regret taking the time off, while I am still in my good health to live in other parts of the world with my husband. I have thoroughly enjoyed my job as a teacher over the last few decades, but I want to explore other aspects of my personality and skill set to grow in new ways. Retirement will certainly enable me to do that.

This is something I have been thinking and acting in a conscious way in recent years. That is I want to work and do things on my terms and not other’s terms whenever it is possible.

I’ve been retired 16 years absolutely no regrets!😊

What a great video! I really enjoyed it. I plan to retire when I am in my 40s. Ive learned to be careful with who I tell because people discourage me from it, but it won't stop me. I want to enjoy life when I still have the health and energy to do so. I have a master's degree from a very prestigious college. A lot of times people ask why Ive gone through so much college if I plan to retire early. When I was in college, I had zero financial education. I had never heard of the FIRE movement and really was passionate about the work I wanted to do. I still am passionate but I am more passionate about my time and about being with those I love with no regrets.

I am 60, newly retired, and as part of the transition I took a "time out" to spend some months in a personal growth reboot. I am struck by how most of these "regrets" line up with pillars of Branden's Six Pillars of Self Esteem (1- living consciously, 2 - living purposefully, 3 - practicing self-assertiveness, 5 - self-acceptance). As for friends, those change over time and you will find yourself with very different ones, or much fewer, when you finally make the effort to outgrow unconscious patterns of living that are sham substitutes for truly authentic expressions of your real values. Be a true friend to yourself and you will never be without one.

I've lost touch with almost all my friends... they moved on with their lives. I tried to stay in touch for a while, but married friends prefer hanging out with other married people. I'm not even retired yet. I looked forward to retirement when I thought I would have people to hang out with. Now I don't know what to look forward to.

Regrets, like worries, are of no use. You can't turn back the clock to have a second chance to get what you desired. To hold on to regrets will only make you miserable for nothing. Stay focused on the present and live life to the fullest. Your past was a journey of learning from every decision that you made. There's no reason to regret anything.

The comments for the video are truly fascinating and are true life experiences. I enjoyed and valued reading it the most.

Great video with 5 important points, where 3 of them hit home! I'm 72 and 4 years retired really enjoying myself but this video makes me realize I need to be more intentional. My motto: Keep a positive attitude and appreciate it now because it's only going to get worse! I think this applies as we age. Thank you for the thought provoking video!

Nothing in this world is never enough. We are always looking for something greater beyond this world.

I’m 75 I retired ten years ago . I’m set now for life wish I can still work but too much tax . I now enjoyed my retirement plus the great excellent healthcare insurance. Can’t complain god is good to me 🙏🙏🙏♥️

The biggest regret that a lot of older people have is that they always played it safe and never took any risk with their lives because they were uncomforable with change. Instead of going for the gusto, they decided it was easier not to "rock the boat" and to just live a medodcre life. Sad but true!

Since my 20's, I always wonder when I will be ready to exhale my last breath. Now, I am 66 and I think I have done everything I ever wanted. No regret except a few things could have ended better, but so what. I often wonder why people regret having worked too hard. Working hard was enjoyable if you are self motivated. Working hard does not prevent you from living a wonderful life. I never consider lying on a beach doing nothing enjoyable. On the contrary, there is nothing worthy not coming out of hard work. Raising family, taking care parents, maintaining a good marriage, all take hard work. I think the key is being self motivated for a meaningful life at all stages of life.

At the end of retirement, I'll probably regret dying.

Optimizing to be FREE at an earlier age to have time with family, friends, and self.

I am 69, my husband is 64. I am retired and he is semi-retired. Childfree by choice with no regrets. Both of us are introverted and choose to live a simple life in our home in the woods. We have always bucked tradition and followed our own path. We have few friends but they are solid. Frankly....we prefer animals to most people. Common sense and civility seems to be lacking in people these days. Both of us are secure in the knowledge that when one of us passes...the other will be able to cope and be ok. Persue your passions and " work to live, don't live to work."

Like many of the successful retirees, we (myself & wife of 45 years) planned to retire as soon as we found a way to have a cash stream that pays off all the monthly bills and the yearly home owners fees, property tax and the municipal utility district tax etc. We did not want to touch our IRA, 403 b etc; we wanted the SS monthly income to pay for ALL of our expenses. Before retirement, we wanted to payoff the house and buy a brand new car with cash. Now after 10 years of retirement, we enjoy the retired life with the slogan "Total FREEDOM". We sleep well (7 hr in the night and 1 hr nap in the afternoon) and walk EVERDAY at least 2+ miles, rain or shine, which makes us feel healthy!!! Every two months, we drive to see our daughter who lives 200 miles away and our son visit us every 3 months. No complains, except some annoying skin problem (due to seasonal allergy). Yes, one CAN plan one's Retirement which is enjoyable and fruitful. :+))))

Grass is always greener...Most of us have NO idea what it takes to do what we love for a living.Having explored/pursued my dream job(Nashville session musician),I found out that it's HARD!!Mainly because like MANY other dream jobs,EVERYBODY ELSE is dreaming about and PURSUING the same one!

I retired a year and a half ago and so far so good! I went out at 54 so we could travel and actually enjoy ourselves while we had our health.

Sometimes you need to have the time to search out experiences to find what “you” really like and/or want. I found some things I thought I wanted and would enjoy were not what I enjoyed and ended up hating. Try out new experiences but don’t lock yourself into anything without time and opportunities to explore.

Nice that you ventured out of your normal content - for many, this counsel is as, or more, important for one's retirement than financial advice.

Well done video and thanks. Very thoughtful and quality comments as well….no good comments comes with bad video 👍🏼

I retired in Fall 2023. I didn’t retire as in check out and do nothing. Within 1 months launched a small group for job searchers called “The Next Chapter” which also helped me to chart what is next for me. It’s critical to live intentionally and not on auto- pilot as most people seem to do. Now, I am re- calibrating what is important each day. And I am fortunate to live in a forest with some land to ever turn my eyes in Thanksgiving the Creator of all things.

Thank you for this. 💙 I appreciate that you all talk about the emotional aspects of life, and the overall purpose in WHY we seek out retirement. Having a fulfilled life… pre and post retirement… is why we work so hard to begin with. Thinking about the potential of looking back with life regrets… makes us more intentional with our decisions now.

I recently sold my business that I founded and ran for over 30 years. I worked extra hard over those years, but I don't regret that. I'm now financially free at 55. And my company helped make the world a better place by creating exhibits in museums and nature centers, with over 700 hundred projects in 45 states and 4 countries. So, I don't agree with the don't work so hard. It can lead to making the world a better place and put you in a financial position to really enjoy the next phase.

It's a good idea to send Christmas greetings with a card made from photos of your year and a text describing your year as a minimum . Add a personal greeting and the friendships don't die. Everyone knows they can reach out to you anytime. I also find it helpful as another commenter wrote to keep in mind that you have to make choices because time is limited and that there where reasons for your choices. No reason to feel bad about it. You need to work to have money to live on. Life is compromise. I need money in my retirement. As far as it comes to choosing to be happy I don't think that ignoring what's going on is the way. Perhaps you could concentrate on prioritizing what's important and where you can make an impact. If you are unhappy can you change your circumstances or is it really necessary to adjust how you feel about the situation you are currently in. Of course you should not get agitated about things that are of no importance and make yourself unhappy. A happy life to you, too. 😎

We retired in 2002. Our kids were grown, we'd already downsized, and we were in our 50's. We have lots of hobbies, and we travel. The saddest thing we've seen is workaholics who retire to nothing. Tina, Al's wife

I retired at age 60. Worked this long because I was only income for family of 5. Your 5 items make sense. But, remember there is grey areas within each area. For example: Item 1 implies we live for want we want instead of what we need. Boy.... I'd love to drive a fancy red sports car. But living in deep snow region forces me to drive AWD high ground clearance vehicle. Especially when having family members in the vehicle. Personal wants and "needs" are always different. Needs of own safety and family support always comes first. I agree with "let ones self be happeir" and not focus on the bad / on the little things - that do NOT incluence one's own life... My wife often said... Keep your eye on the ball and NEVER keep score. Life's Game during the years will end when it ends. Just play with ethical rules and support the family. At end of one's life we want to honestly say that "we as parents did a great job". Today, I can honestly say... We did a great job.....

I retired at 62 and in the better weather I do thousands of miles of motorcycling each year. The sense of freedom is profound.

I am not retired yet, but those things you mentioned are already part of my life.I am enjoying life, feeling I am retired while working.

Every person has a different story, when, if, they can achieve retirement. Few know the "real" truth about many, even those "close" to you. You don't really know one's specific situation. Makes no difference to me what age people retire at, with regrets, no regrets, don't care about regrets, and so forth. It's a balancing act and one can get some sort of perspective and information on this video, and 1000's like it. That is why I don't feel it necessary to provide my situation because I don't care to compare to anyone and vice-versa.

I find funny that you talk about retirement and you are so young. Thank you for your videos. Very informative. ❤😊

Note that regret 3 and 1 and 5 are similar emotional statements about feelings. Regrets are a double edged sword, we often don’t get a redo. It is useless and actually harmful to focus on regrets, other than to learn to do better going forward. People tend to be depressed when dying, it is much healthier to focus on the positives, than on all the things you can’t change. We all die, we all make mistakes, Heaven and Hell were created to contrast those that were malicious from those that could have done better, but did “good enough”

Thanks for this insightful video. I can relate to numbers 3 and 4. It can be difficult to step outside of yourself to take an honest look at your life. This helps. It's a good tool.

So so true these 5 things people regret! I can totally relate - I have given work and my career so often far far too much importance. Peter U.K.

What a great video - thank you for steering me back on track as to what is really meaningful. Good job James.

I regret not having more children when I could! As women, we have only a tiny window to do it. My husband died young.

My father in law was a person who had tremendous courage in expressing his feelings. He lived fully as "the person he wanted to be". He recently died. My wife, his daughter, was estranged from him, and did not go to see him on his deathbed. Neither did my FIL's son, my wife's brother. My FIl's grandson, the son of his son... he saw him maybe twice. Be careful with this "courage". Many see it as just being an asshole.

The thing I regretted most about retirement was not doing it earlier.

I don’t want to let other people suck up all my time . I’ve seen people that’s retired and still want others to do for them .

Great advice. I’m not sure happiness is a choice however. There are some studies that suggest happiness is an innate characteristic. That’s why buying something to make yourself feel better is temporary. You soon return to your baseline level of happiness.

No regrets! RN, I retired at 59 1/2 and have enjoyed every day since! Lived on savings until 65, started my avocation teaching arts and had all the time I wanted to travel and spend family time! Now at 72 I still have so many things I enjoy doing each day. And I am contented just spending alone time. Life is good and I want many more years!

My main regret is not pushing my hubby to travel with me he was ademant about not getting on an airplane and thus thankfully i was a reservist and got to travel all over the world.. for free. and got paid! however now he is ill and is willing to travel but simply cant be away from the hospital at all. so yes i regret that, im grateful my mum and i traveled constantly and now that she is gone i miss her terribly my best friend but im so glad we went out every day for this and that. had a blast,,

I pretty much disagree with your philosophy it’s not regrets about retirement it’s regrets about what happened on your whole life journey not just those retirement years

All very abstract. I work as hard as I can, many many long hours, don't see my kids in the week. I am very very happy about this. My job pays well, I do what I think I need to to be considered by my bosses to be performing well in the role, and that's what keeps the roof over our heads, good quality food coming in, and a funds a few support activities - not too many - to help develop the kids. I am delighted I get the opportunity to work like this to keep us rolling forward, am terrified of the day when suddenly I will not have this work. Work while you can, is my advice. I see the kids at weekends, we spend time together. We properly know each other.

When I was younger,I wish I would have managed money better but at least I realized it before it's too late. Work just dominates life just because you have to spend so much time there to survive but with good money management,it could be less!!

It's all a state of mind. Many people go through life having expectations about status, lifestyle, self perception. Others just see life as an amazing phenomenon that they find themselves in and expect nothing from it other than to just observe it's passing, see where it leads and be content with that alone.

I have no great regrets in life in fact my life has turned out more successful than I thought it would when I was young! I wish I had spent more time in college but that may have interfered with the other activities in my life like supporting my family which was equally important to me. Besides my career and my family turned out to be completely satisfying so I have nothing to regret. My wife and I have been retired for almost ten years and we are both happy with retirement. Life is good! 😊

I did everything right for the type of retirement I wanted. To spend the rest of my life traveling, renting as I go. 3 years after retirement I developed an autoimmune and now I'm lucky if I make it around a supermarket. Moral of the story, don't count on anything.

James, I have just found your channel which is refreshingly pragmatic and reflects much of experience I have gained as a health care professional: keep up the excellent work.

Thankful I was able to figure these out at 35 or so. Still don't have friends in point 4, but I've got time.

No foreseeable regrets for me. I am still working on my bucket list. Yes, like someone said, it's all about "planning ahead". One important thing to mention, "your health". If you do not, medical bills will take a lot of your retirement funds. Plan ahead, live wisely.

Retirement is such a bad word. Maybe I would use the 'Next phase of life outside work'? There is no benefit gain being the riches guy in the cemetary,...rather be rich in experiences from what life gives you.

I've never really spent a lot of time regretting things. All that stuff is in the past. Nothing can be done about the past. I usually focus on today and a little bit on the future. Even the concept of a bucket list is not something I've ever cared about. I'm not going to worry about trying to fulfill a list of things that other people expect to be on a list. I enjoy my life.

Almost all my investments were for my kids. There wer other investments I helped them ( an only child a son & his family, which I thought included us their Dad & Mom) Nothing in return but even the very capital investment just went the drain. Worst is the fact I realized, too late, that we are not in the plans to be in their family but to be of helper as they couldn't just do away with us, Mom & Dad. They simply are only obliged.

I retired in 2022. I didn’t expect a loss of purchasing power do to inflation. The only choice for me is to go back to work on a part time. No sense worrying. Just do the best I can. Down sizing is another option for me to think about.