Imagine that you’re at the end of your life. What are the thoughts going through your mind? A lot of people report thinking, “I wish I had traveled the world,” or “I wish I hadn’t spent so much time at work.” “I wish I had had a better relationship with so and so” and “I wish I hadn’t made money such a priority” are also their parting thoughts.
Very often, people find themselves regretting their life choices when they’re on their deathbed. They usually feel like they put a lot of effort into amassing wealth and not enough into the other things that matter, such as health and relationships.
Surely you don’t want to end up like one of these people, who has regrets at the end? Everyone wants to live a long, happy life. So it’s time for you to start doing the things necessary to make this possible. And that means spending less time amassing wealth and more time doing the things that are meaningful to you, such as being healthy.
Here are a few tips to help you have the kind of life you will eventually enjoy:
- How much time are you actually working? Very few people actually stop to think about this. They just get caught up in the rush of working and don’t bother to time themselves. Plus, in addition to work at the office, there’s often work at home, in the form of repairs, cooking, cleaning etc. So it’s a good idea to keep track of exactly how much time you spend working and how much time you spend playing, if you want to avoid burnout.
- What kind of health problems have you had in the past? It’s a good idea to keep track of what your health problems have been in the past. Everyone has a different kind of body. Some people are more susceptible to chest colds while others tend to have digestive issues. Some might have more serious diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure. It’s necessary to keep track of what type of health problems you’re having and to take the right medications at the right time to make sure they don’t affect you again in the future.
- What kind of health problems run in your family? Often, health issues are hereditary. We’ve all heard of how actress Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy and also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. For her, this was the best preventive measure to make sure that she lived a long and happy life with her children. You may or may not have serious medical issues in your family history but it’s a good idea to keep track.
- How much money do you really need? A lot of people have very high ambitions. They want to have enough money to buy mansions, yachts, designer clothes etc. But how much do these grandiose things really add to your happiness? Sure it might be nice to have a nice house and nice clothes. But once you have these things, is it necessary to keep trading them in for something even bigger and better? Think about how much bigger and better you really need to go for happiness.
- What if you only had another year to live? Sometimes, people need a little push to start living the kind of life they know they ought to live. And imagining that you only had another year to live can give you that. We all have a story and one day, that story is going to come to an end. But imagine if you had a short story and you had to fit all the plot, dialogue and action into it. What would you stop doing? What would you start doing? Obviously, focusing on your health would be one of the things you would start because you would want to elongate your life as much as possible by eating well and exercising.
