Living with No Regrets: My Guide to a Fuller Life
When I was very young, I remember sitting down in my room and thinking to myself – I want to live a life with no regrets. I don't want to wake up when I'm 80 and regret that I said no to an opportunity because I was scared or because it wasn't the "practical" thing to do.
That simple, powerful promise I made to my younger self has been my guide. But let's be honest, life gets complicated. We fall into routines, responsibilities pile up, and before we know it, we're living on autopilot. That big, beautiful idea of a "no-regrets life" gets buried under the everyday grind. It gets replaced by the cliché "live life to the fullest," a phrase we see on posters but struggle to feel in our bones.
Hi, I'm Justyna Kedra, and my journey has been about closing that gap. It’s about turning that abstract goal into a daily practice. A full life isn't about a handful of dramatic, bucket-list moments. It’s built in the small, intentional choices we make every day to say "yes" to ourselves and our own joy.
If you've ever felt that disconnect between the life you want and the one you're living, you're in the right place. Here are seven authentic ways to honor that promise to yourself and truly start living.
1. Embrace the Art of the Everyday
A life without regret isn't lived only on vacation. It’s found in the texture of your daily routine. The goal is to stop sleepwalking through the "in-between" moments.
How to do it: Practice mindfulness without the pressure of formal meditation. When you’re drinking your morning coffee, just drink the coffee. Notice its warmth, its aroma, its taste. When you walk outside, feel the air on your skin. By anchoring yourself in these tiny sensory details, you turn mundane moments into pockets of peace and finding joy in everyday life becomes a habit.
2. Schedule Your Discomfort
Regret is often born from the opportunities we missed because of fear. Your comfort zone is safe, but your potential lives just outside of it. You don’t need to jump out of a plane; you just need to take one brave step.
How to do it: Intentionally schedule one small thing each week that makes you slightly nervous. This could be going to a movie alone, trying a new workout class, striking up a conversation with a stranger, or cooking a complex recipe. The act of stepping out of your comfort zone in small, manageable ways builds the muscle you need for bigger leaps later.
3. Cultivate an "Unprofitable" Hobby
In a world obsessed with side hustles, do something just for the love of it. Find an activity with no goal of monetization, no pressure to be the best, and no audience. This is purely for your own self-discovery and delight.
How to do it: What did you love as a kid? Painting, playing guitar, building models, gardening? Reconnect with that joy. An "unprofitable" hobby is a powerful act of self-care. It’s a space where you can play, experiment, and fail without consequence. This is where you can find your passion without pressure.
4. Practice Active Gratitude
It's impossible to regret a life you are actively thankful for. Gratitude shifts your perspective from what’s missing to what’s present. It's the fastest way to increase your daily happiness.
How to do it: At the end of each day, write down three specific things you were grateful for. Don't just write "my family." Write, "The way my partner made me laugh with that silly joke." or "That 10 minutes of quiet I had this morning." Specificity makes the feeling real and rewires your brain to look for the good.
5. Define Your "Enough"
So many of our "shoulds" come from the outside world telling us we need more—a better job, a bigger house, more followers. The endless pursuit of "more" is a recipe for dissatisfaction. A life without regret is a life lived on your own terms.
How to do it: Take some time to journal about what truly matters to you. What experiences, relationships, and feelings define a rich life for you? Is it freedom? Security? Creativity? Connection? When you define what "enough" looks like, you can step off the hamster wheel of comparison and start making choices that are authentically yours.
6. Curate Your Inputs
The information you consume shapes your thoughts, and your thoughts shape your reality. If your mental diet is filled with negativity, comparison, and fear, your inner world will reflect that.
How to do it: Do a digital audit. Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. Mute the news for a weekend. Instead, consciously fill your feed with people who inspire you, teach you, and make you feel good. Listen to podcasts that expand your mind. Read books that offer new perspectives. Curating your inputs is like curating your mind.
7. Choose Action Over Analysis
Regret loves inaction. How many great ideas have died in the purgatory of "I'll do it when..."? When you have the perfect plan, when you have more time, when you feel ready. Here's a secret: you'll never feel 100% ready.
How to do it: Embrace the "five-minute rule." Whatever you're procrastinating on, just do it for five minutes. Often, starting is the hardest part. Taking a small, imperfect action is infinitely more powerful than planning for a perfect one that never happens. This is the ultimate way to stop living on autopilot and take back the steering wheel.
Your Life is Happening Now
That promise I made to myself as a child isn't a destination I've arrived at. It's a daily practice of showing up for my own life with intention, curiosity, and courage. It’s about choosing a life that will feel full and true when I look back at 80.
Here at justynakedra.com, we're all about this journey. It’s messy, it’s beautiful, and it’s yours for the taking.
Now, I'd love to hear from you. In the comments below, share one thing you're afraid of not doing in your life. What's one small step you can take toward it this week?
