I Wish I Had . . .
Is your IWIH list longer than your IGID list?
Put two columns on a piece of paper. Label the left column IWIH and the right column IGID.
In the right column, write down things you’re glad you did (IGID).
As you look back on your life, what decisions have moved your life ahead? What risks did you take that worked out well for you? What inner work have you done to know yourself better? What relationships have you nurtured, created, or repaired? Spend some time with this.
In the left column, write down the things you wish you had done (IWIH). This could be your bucket list. Some of these might be frivolous. Others could be serious. Spend some time with this.
Some of the things on your IWIH list have been left behind. If you said, “I wish I had pursued my dream to become an NFL football player, and you’re 80 years old, you’re going to have to let go of that one. Some of them can still be moved to the IGID column. If you said you wished you had spent more time with your kids, it’s not too late, even if they’re no longer kids.
You’ll find that many of the things on your IWIH list will be clues to your true self - that part of you that you have denied because of the pressures of culture, family, and career. You’ve done what others wanted you to do instead of what you wanted to do. Your IWIH list will point you to some of your values and maybe help you determine what matters most.
Spend some time with your IWIH list and see how many of those could be moved to the IGID list before it’s too late. It’s never too late.