Everyone makes mistakes. But only a fool keeps repeating the same ones. 

It’s not that we make mistakes that matters but what we do about them.

Mistakes can either break us or build us; block our progress or advance it.

What kind of life do you want in the New Year, more of the same or something better? 

If you want something better, lose the ego and use mistakes as constructive feedback for a better life. Better yet, learn from the mistakes of others to minimize pain and accelerate success.  

We gain knowledge, wisdom, and experience through mistakes and become more capable of navigating our path. 

Here are six tips for harnessing the power of your mistakes to help unlock your best life in 2023. 

Don’t Blame…Own Your Mistakes

Until you admit you made a mistake, you will repeat it until you finally learn from it, which some people never do because they’re more afraid of appearing wrong or disappointing people. 

A mistake holds you in its grip until you admit you made it. So take your power back by acknowledging it and use it as a stepping stone to greater success and fulfillment.

You’re a student of life who’s growing and discovering.

Don’t blame, make excuses, or justify. 

And don’t worry about what other people think or their disapproval, or being criticized or judged, which they’ll do anyway, if not over this, then over something else. 

Live your life!

By admitting you made a mistake, you’re holding yourself accountable. And you will have peace of mind, greater self-respect, and your peers’ respect.

Shift Your Outlook

Thomas Edison shifted his perspective to viewing mistakes and failures as necessary stepping stones to success. 

For him, mistakes were lessons, and he kept using that feedback to adjust course until he finally got to where he wanted to go. 

That’s the mindset of successful people. 

Some mistakes are simple errors; others are life-altering (not necessarily the “good” way). Either way, for better or for worse, there’s always something valuable to learn. 

Ask, “What’s Next?” 

Once you’ve admitted the mistake and know why it happened and how to avoid repeating it, it’s time to move on and ask, “What’s next? How can I make something good come out of this?” 

You made a mistake. There’s no changing it. 

Use it to make your life better in some way; don’t waste it. 

Stop Dwelling on It

Although you should admit your mistake, dwelling on the past gets you nowhere, so handle it and move on.

Staying stuck in the past and overthinking things fills you with self-doubt, and kills confidence and self-esteem, making you even more anxious and mistake-prone. 

Take charge of your mind and mental focus. Don’t let your negative self-talk gain momentum. 

Be kind and empathetic to yourself just like you would for a dear friend. No good comes from beating yourself up. 

Make peace with your mistakes. 

Remind yourself that life goes on.

For a brighter, better future, learn from your past so you don’t repeat the mistake . 

Create Your Plan of Action

Next, make a plan of action of what you’ll do differently to make things better moving forward starting today.

After analyzing the data and making your plan of action, put your plan into motion. An imperfect plan that hobbles forward is better than a perfect plan standing still going no where. 

Create a vivid mental image of what you will and won’t do from this day forward based on what you’ve learned from the mistake. 

If you have to get new skills and resources, get them; stack the odds in your favor. Have the will to act as you take steps to unlock your best life.

Make Some New Mistakes

If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not growing. 

But try not to make mistakes that ruin your life. 

People who are afraid of making mistakes usually live life too small, miss opportunities, and make even more mistakes than if they lived with passion, purpose, and power because they’re too cautious and always second-guessing themselves.

Make the most of your mistakes and then make some more! Keep experimenting and learning. Let your life be a bold and daring adventure! Embrace that outlook to minimize the toll your mistakes take on your mental and emotional health. 

Be Solution-Focused

The next time you make a mistake, be solution-focused instead of dwelling on the past and beating yourself up. 

Don’t ever let a mistake keep you from living your life or pursuing your dreams. 

Take ownership of your actions AND embrace an optimistic outlook.

Try to focus more on making something good come from your past and creating new opportunities instead of on what you’ve lost. Use these tips to work through your mistakes for a better life now and a brighter future in 2023 and beyond. 

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

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Retirement means something different to everyone. But the one thing we all have in common is the hope and desire for more freedom – to finally live life on our terms.

Think about it—no more morning commutes, vacation requests, deadlines, or overtime. 

Many people view retirement as the day when their life finally begins. But does retirement live up to its imagined reputation? Here are some good, bad, and ugly truths about retirement. 

Retirement Statistics

According to studies from the National Center for Health Statistics, the average 65-year old today can expect to live until they’re almost 84. That’s six and a half years longer than back in 1940.

Living longer is one of the main reasons retirees are forced to reenter the workplace. But that might not be as depressing as it sounds because seven out of 10 people view working while they’re retired as a good thing.

According to Bankrate.com, 38% percent of people surveyed say they chose to return to work during their retirement.

But there’s a group of retirees that aren’t so happy. They’re the ones (35%) who say that they don’t have a choice but to work because they need the money to survive. 

And then there’s the group of retirees (about 27%) who say they enjoy the work but admit they rely on the few extra dollars they make each month. 

But here’s the scary thing: Over 47% of retirees worry that they may outlive their retirement savings.

Retirement: Truths vs. Reality

So many of us imagine freedom-filled golden years of exotic vacations, doing whatever we want whenever we want with whomever we want. Total freedom! Cruises. Golf courses. Worry-free life in the sand and sun, learning new languages, and pursuing fun hobbies. Others want to enjoy more time with their kids and grandkids.  

However, reality can be a big bucket of ice water on our dreams because for many people, retirement becomes a time of slow disconnection from the life and friends they once knew and enjoyed. Sadly, the golden years feel unfulfilling and purposeless for many retirees, with days filled with loneliness. 

Before long, they struggle with stress and anxiety. Other symptoms many retirees suffer from are obesity and high blood pressure from living a more sedentary lifestyle than before, with days filled with too much TV and poor nutrition, resulting in chronic unhappiness and disease.  

To make it worse, retirees typically use less and less of their cognitive skills, which leads to a decline in focus and concentration associated with dementia.

Wait, it gets even uglier. According to the Institute of Economic Affairs, the risk of clinical depression goes up by about 40% after retiring. Why? Lack of structure and the schedule of having a steady job and losing the intellectual and social stimulation work provides. 

When people retire, they walk away from a life they once knew filled with daily social connection and the certainty that comes with daily routine – which they used to dislike or even hate but now, strangely, miss more than ever. 

For some people, retiring is similar to a grieving process that they must process step-by-step in order to fully accept their new reality, to which they will eventually adapt and adjust.

It’s More Than About Saving Money & Creating Wealth 

Financial planners promote the dream that saving enough money to pay for all of your future years is the pathway to a lifetime of happiness and stress-free living. Save enough money, and you can quit working eventually to start living the life of your dreams finally!

But in reality, many people find that retirement is little more than living out their remaining years in slow decline and running out of money along the way. 

What if we redefined retirement? What if we designed the kind of life – a lifestyle of purpose and fulfillment – that we bring with us into retirement?

Would it be such a bad thing to find or create a part-time income during retirement, not only for a financial cushion but also to keep the mind sharp and enjoy regular social connections? 

You can only spend so many days at the beach or on the golf course before that way of living also becomes dull, routine, and unfulfilling. 

A Bigger Picture

There’s more to life than withering away at home and worrying about what you’re going to do if you outlive your nest egg.  

Many of today’s newly retired embrace a bigger perspective and are searching for jobs that fit into their new chapter of life. It could be full-time, part-time, non-profit volunteer work! They realize that they have a wealth of wisdom and experience to share with the younger generations. 

Many are renewing their commitment to growing and learning new things and meeting new people. According to research, socially active retirees enjoy better physical, mental, and emotional health.

When you retire, your life doesn’t have to be thrown onto the dreary pile of retirement statistics. Nor does it mean you live out your remaining years apathetically or in slow decline.

Retirement can mean that you’re blazing a new path reignited with new purpose. More than ever, you get to shape the rules.  

Sure, you can sit in your favorite chair and watch game shows all day. OR, you can use the extra time at your disposal to continue unlocking your best life! You can enjoy healthy food, and keep yourself in good condition, mentally, emotionally, and physically. 

Here are a few other things you might consider trying to stay happy and healthy during your retirement:

• Volunteer at local shelters, soup kitchens, or any non-profit organization
• Take a class to keep your mind sharp and meet new people with similar interests
• Go on regular walks or join a gym
• Practice yoga, meditation, or tai chi
• Teach a class
• Be an active participant in your faith community
• Set up a daily routine that fulfills you, and stick to it

Being Active In Senior Years

Whether you choose to continue working to some degree during retirement, staying active during the golden years is essential to retaining and maintaining functional independence, which becomes increasingly more important as we age. These are various ways one can stay healthy and energetic. 

1. Choose Your Favorite Activity: Instead of opting for an exercise program that you don’t like or enjoy (which means you won’t stick with it anyway), why not choose a favorite activity that adds more physical movement to your day? Make ‘being active’ fun and easy.

Some Great Options

• Walking
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Gardening
• Weight Training: This helps you gain muscle mass lost as part of the aging process and increases bone density, making for stronger bones.

Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise program

Measure Your Progress

Record your progress in a notebook or journal so you can adjust your physical routine accordingly. Plus, measuring progress has been shown to increase motivation. 

Wear Comfortable Clothing While Training

Wear comfortable clothes that offer enough ventilation and flexibility for you to move freely. Also, wear appropriate shoes to protect your feet and joints, especially if you have diabetes.

Drink up to rehydrate AND to prevent dehydration overall. 

Seniors Who Have Had Little To No Experience With Being Physically Active

Better late than never! Even if you have never exercised or have completely stopped exercising, you can always start now. Even by performing simple exercises such as a brisk walk early morning, you can develop muscle mass and help strengthen your bones. 

Some of the Many Benefits of Enjoying Physical Activity Regularly as a Senior Adult: 

• Science proves that being active in old age helps prevent or delay chronic disease and disability.
• Improves metabolism, blood circulation, and immune system health, and delays cognitive decline.
• Active senior adults have less stress and depression and are more often in a good mood than their counterparts who don’t engage in regular physical activity. 

Replenishing your mind, body, and soul with regular physical activity is the closest thing to the Fountain of Youth we have. It will keep you young, energized, and physically fit. As a result, you will have more time, energy, and years to enjoy not only your retirement but also the ones you love and cherish most while living to make the world a better place. 

A Final Note

Retirement is a milestone to celebrate! Take a look at everything you’ve accomplished. You should be proud! You’re wiser, more experienced, and so much more resilient and tougher than you were a few decades ago, and much more resourceful too.

So many people look forward to retirement desperately but aren’t sure what to do with it when the day finally comes. 

The time to take charge is now. Make a list of everything you’d like to accomplish in your golden years that you believe will make your retirement more enjoyable. Then, get out there today and start designing that life by putting the necessary building blocks in place because one thing is for sure, that day will come faster, much faster, than you realize.

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Regret creates disappointment. Who wants to reach the end of life’s journey with a soul overflowing with sadness and missed opportunities?

Here are six healthy ways to deal with regret so you don’t end up in a dark place of sadness and loss.   

Be Grateful

Choose to be grateful by focusing on your blessings. Remind yourself of all the wonderful things you have in life that money can’t buy like family, friends, shelter, and food. Your list can be as long or as short as you like. By being grateful, you stay focused on what you’ve gained instead of on what you’ve lost.

Keep the Big Picture in Mind

Life isn’t one singular event; it’s a process that, for many, spans decades. Sure, people make mistakes. And bad things happen. Even mistakes and unfortunate events can sometimes lead to good outcomes. If not, strive to use them to learn about yourself and life so you can grow and be a blessing to someone who desperately needs the gift of encouragement.

Express Your Emotions

Some emotions are empowering. Others work against us. While it isn’t always easy to take charge of our emotions, strive to release any feelings that don’t serve your life or dreams. Have you been beating yourself up? Stop! Move forward by choosing to focus on your goals and dreams and the good things you have to offer. Does punishing yourself serve any good purpose? No! So, forgive yourself and move on, unlocking your best life in the process, so those things don’t happen ever again.

Be Teachable

Failure and regret can be great teachers – if you’re teachable. So, make that unfortunate event count. Don’t let it go to waste! Keep living your life with passion, applying what you learned. Shine. Be a light! Don’t let feelings of sadness and regret turn your soul dark.

“If Only…” Stop Reliving the Past

Shackling yourself to the whipping post of “If only” and “I should’ve” will not change what happened. It just poisons your present and ruins your future. What’s worse? Making a mistake in the past that triggered a painful outcome and dealing with it, or carrying that mistake into the future and letting it ruin your joy and influence for years to come? Please, do yourself a favor and stop living in the past. The best way to honor and redeem the past is to be a person of value from this day forward who lives to make a difference by being a light of encouragement and hope for others.

Live for What Matters Most

You know how the story ends for people who center their lives around work, possessions, money, and popularity to the bitter exclusion of their dreams and loved ones. They die with regret. When that day comes, and you know you have very little time left on earth, remember, no one has ever said, “I wished I wouldn’t have spent so much time with my friends and family,” or, “I shouldn’t have spent so much time, money and energy on making my dreams come true.” No! People almost always say they wished they had more time with their loved ones and would’ve spent more time and energy on their dreams instead of work. Defeat regret by reordering your priorities today; live for what matters most.

Although you can’t control everything that happens to you, you have a lot more control over stuff in your daily life than you might realize, especially regarding how you spend your time and who you choose to spend it with. So, don’t wait for your life to magically become happy or fulfilling. Take charge and live a happy, fulfilling life starting right now. That’s what you can have and deserve – a life of healing and joy and not one that’s filled with endless pain and regret.

The post Six Great Ways To Deal With Regret So You Don’t Lose Your Happiness and Hope appeared first on Lifestyle.

It’s easy to conclude that life’s out to get us whenever we don’t get what we want.

We blame God, or the universe, whenever we don’t win competitions, fail exams, or don’t get the thing we spent all day and night praying for.

Blaming God can be an understandable reaction, but it’s disempowering.

There’s a better way to handle this situation besides blaming God or wallowing in self-pity because life isn’t fair. Read on, and we’ll tell you what it is.

Be Content with What You Have

Have you ever considered that when things aren’t going your way, maybe it’s just life teaching you a lesson about contentment?

Many people think the key to happiness is getting what they want, whether it’s a car, a promotion, expensive clothes, or a million dollars.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things, but it raises the question: are we really going to be happy once we get them?

The answer is no. Why? Because how can we be happy with those things if we’re not content with what we already have?

People who are content with what they have don’t stress themselves with what’s “lacking” in their lives.

They focus on what they have, not on what they don’t have.

They live each day with gratitude and don’t throw a fit when things don’t go their way. They simply move on with their lives, knowing that something better is on its way.

Take Some Time to Reflect on Things

Instead of pointing fingers, wouldn’t it be so much better if we reflected on why things didn’t work out?

Sure, that’s difficult to do when emotions are running high, but it’s an excellent way of handling drawbacks because it turns “failure” into a learning moment.

Taking time to reflect on the events that transpired allows you to set your emotions aside for a more objective perspective.

It also keeps you from lashing out at people or feeling jealous or envious.

How we choose to deal with failure and rejection reveals the type of person we are…it shows our character. Besides, we learn more from failure and rejection than from success.

By reverse-engineering “failure” and reflecting on things, you can identify problem areas two work on and change.

Using this process spares you from the guilt, anger, and misery that often comes from personalizing failure. It’s one thing to “fail” but another thing to consider yourself a failure. It creates a venue for healthy conversations with yourself and enables you to focus more on solutions than on being denied what you wanted to have or achieve.

Rise From the Fall

A “no” doesn’t always mean no. Getting rejected the first time doesn’t mean you’ll get the same answer after your second attempt.

If you still feel like going after what you want after spending time in reflection, grab the opportunity the next time it presents itself.

Work on any problem areas you identified to increase your chances of getting a “yes” on the second try. If the second attempt doesn’t work out for you, learn from it, then try again.

Know what you want, work hard to get it, but be kind to yourself when life decides not to give it to you.

Practice the habit of looking for lessons in each setback – like an athlete studying game film. Maybe life is trying to teach you something. You’ll repeat the situation until you learn and grow from it.

You deserve to be happy; life is yours for the taking! So, don’t give up! Persevere. Endure. Believe. And have faith that you are becoming the kind of person who can create the type of life that makes you happy.

Image by eko pramono from Pixabay

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