Regret is Good - Embracing regret in the right way is a great catalyst for growth

I recently read The Power of Regret, Dan Pink’s latest bestseller. I also got to hear him interviewed in a private mastermind workshop. Here is a brief synopsis of the book.

 
Having no regrets is unhealthy. A lack of introspection means we miss opportunities to learn, grow, and change our path. Likewise, wallowing in regret can be self-destructive, leading to a lack of confidence and fear-based decision making.
 
When we attempt to minimize (or avoid) regret, we usually play it too safe and are afraid to take chances.
 
Based on an exhaustive study, the book breaks regret into four categories

  1. Foundation – around responsibility, conscientiousness, or prudence

  2. Boldness – usually the chance you did not take, sometimes the one you did

  3. Moral – how we lead our lives

  4. Connection – often, relationships you let slip away, or did not pursue harder

Here are tips for what to do with regrets
 
For regrets involving Action

  1. Undo it – apologize, make amends, attempt to repair damage

  2. At Least It – Find the silver lining; think about how the situation could have turned out worse and appreciate that it didn’t

 For any regrets

  1. Self-disclose – either by telling others or journaling about it

  2. Self-compassion – give yourself a break, treat yourself the way you’d treat a friend in the same situation

  3. Self-distance – analyze the lessons learned by zooming out and observing the events as an impartial observer. When we do this over an extended time, we will discover patterns in our life.

 Anticipate regrets to help in decision-making

  1. "Satisfice" on most decisions – if the decision does not deal with a core regret, make a choice and move on. An example would be purchasing an appliance.

  2. Maximize crucial decisions – project yourself to a specific point in the future and ask yourself which choice will most help you build a solid foundation, take a sensible risk, do the right thing, or build a relationship.

 I encourage you all to read the book. 

Today's Thought to Remember

Dum spiro spero – While I breathe, I hope. That is a great motto to have. Believe in yourself and go for your dreams.

 

As a reminder, we launched a post-fundraising planning service in December using the A2B Playbook, our planning, and infrastructure growth tool. We help organizations that recently raised money sharpen plans, set quarterly priorities, and enhance Board reporting and communication. We emphasize marketing messaging and revenue-generation strategies in this process.

Let us know if we can help you shrink the time from investment to action and enhance communications between management and investors.

Bill Brown