If You Were to Die Tomorrow, What Would Your Biggest Regret Be?

BJ Fogg, in his interview on the Disrupt Yourself podcast, talked about a pivotal moment for him, which involved awakening from a dream where he was about to die. Upon waking, he felt panicked and it prompted him to reflect on this important question: “what would be my one biggest regret if I died tomorrow?” His answer: he would regret not writing a book about his Tiny Habits framework that he had been teaching about for over a decade. So he set a goal to do it and voila, his book Tiny Habits is now out in the world.

This important question got me thinking…what would my biggest regret be?

I have always said that I’m not a person who lives with regrets. If I were to die tomorrow, I would be proud of the legacy I have left. I believe that I have lived with integrity, with purpose, and with kindness. And I have aspired to leave more positive marks on the world than negative.

This question, however, really resonated with me – perhaps it’s for that very reason that I aspire to not live with regrets.  As I reflected on it, I realized that my biggest regret would be not finishing my young adult novel. Right now, I’m halfway through the first draft and there are parts of it that I. ABSOLUTELY. LOVE. When I think about the characters I’m writing, the exciting twists in the plot, and the triumphant ending of the novel (yet to be written of course!), I get goosebumps. At times, I awaken with scenes from the novel in my head and I feel a rush of excitement as I quickly write them down.

It’s exhilarating for me to be trying something I have never tried before and it’s scary all at the same time. So this goal of finishing my first novel, is a big, exciting step out of my comfort zone. When the novel is actually published (I am putting this in “when” language rather than “if” language on purpose), I’ll be putting myself out there in a way I never have before. For this reason, and so many more (one being I would like all of you to meet these inspirational, strong, and, at times, tortured characters), I would regret not getting it done.

This question about what our biggest regret would be is therefore a really amazing way to crystallize our priorities. It provides a laser focus to tell you what you value and should be putting your time into.

So if you were to die tomorrow, what would your biggest regret be?

What big, audacious goal have you left untouched or half-done?

What one lifelong bucket list item do you need to take that first step towards?

We would love to hear about it in the comments section below!

If you like this article, check out: