Life is funny.

When we waste time, it feels long, but it quickly becomes short when we realize how much time we’ve wasted. It feels long when we’re wasting time and suddenly becomes short the moment we realize how much time we’ve wasted.

And if there’s one thing adulthood constantly teaches us, it’s this:

You don’t have forever.

Procrastination can lead to regrets in the future. I should have done it when I had the opportunity.”

Not because life is rushing you, but because time is quietly moving forward, whether you are ready or not.

Here are things you’ll regret five years later.

10 Things You’ll Regret Not Doing Now in Five Years

1. Not following your dreams

Wishing isn’t a strategy.

A dream you don’t pursue becomes a burden. A dream you don’t move toward becomes a burden.

It sits in your chest like unfinished business, and five years later, the pain will not be, “I failed.”

It will read, “I didn’t even try.”

When you’re building something, life gets exciting.

When you’re trying to learn.

Stop treating your dreams like decorations you admire from a distance.

Begin making small steps count.

Because five years will pass.

What is the question?

Will you be proud of the version of yourself that lives in the future, or will you be disappointed?

2. Not expressing love to someone.

People are not mind readers. People are not mind readers.

Even those who love you the most need to hear it.

Tell them.

Inform your partner, kids, and parents…

Inform that friend you’re secretly grateful for.

You do not have forever with anyone.

Life is too fragile to expect people to “just know.”

Sometimes a simple “I love you” can heal a wound you had no idea they were carrying.

Say it while you can.

3. Not acknowledging someone who deserves it.

We live in a selfish, dog-eat-dog world where everyone is rushing and struggling to survive. We live in a very selfish, dog-eat-dog world where everyone is rushing and trying to survive.

As a result, it’s all too easy to take people for granted, particularly those who show up on a regular basis without making a fuss.

Sometimes the people who deserve your appreciation the most are the ones you’ve grown accustomed to.

Supportive individuals include friends, siblings, mentors, partners, colleagues, and neighbors.

Consider that certain individuals will always be present in your life.

However, we delay our “thank you.”

We make the assumption that they will always be available.

Until life teaches us that nothing and no one is guaranteed.

Appreciation is inexpensive but powerful.

It strengthens relationships, heals wounds, and reminds people that their kindness was appreciated.

And forgetting to express it or postponing it is one regret that hits hard when the chance is gone.

 

4. Failing to apologize to someone you’ve hurt.

Regardless of how upright or emotionally intelligent you are, you will still hurt others. No matter how upright or emotionally intelligent you are, you will still hurt people

It does not matter how “good” you believe you are; being human entails making mistakes.

When you hurt someone, the true test of your character is not perfection, but your willingness to say, “I’m sorry.”

Apology is one of the most powerful relationship tools, but also one of the most avoided. An apology is one of the most powerful relationship tools, yet one of the most avoided.

Pride causes people to drag their feet, whereas ego causes them to justify their actions.

Shame causes them to hide, and before they know it, days turn into months, and months turn into years of awkward silence or broken connections that could have been fixed with a simple apology.

Time does not heal wounds; acknowledgement does. Time doesn’t erase wounds; acknowledgement does.

Perhaps you’ve hurt someone, disappointed them, or broken their trust. Maybe there’s someone you hurt, someone you disappointed, someone whose trust you broke.

You keep telling yourself, “I’ll apologize later.” And you keep telling yourself, “I’ll apologize later.”

Later doesn’t always arrive. Later doesn’t always come.

You will not regret apologizing five years from now. Five years from now, you won’t regret apologizing.

But you’ll come to regret all of the relationships you let pride destroy. But you will regret all the relationships you allowed pride to destroy.

5. Failure to make a long-overdue call

There’s always that one person you want to call but haven’t for months, if not years.

I’m also guilty. I’m guilty, too.

You think you’ll call them next week, but then you hear something painful and are left with regret.

Make the call, or at least take the first steps toward it.

Your future self will appreciate you.

6. Failing to see someone you should

Life has taught us the painful truth that people do not stay forever. Life has taught us painfully that people don’t stay forever.

Jobs relocate them, life changes them, and sickness or death takes them away.

If you need to pay someone a visit, do so now.

7. Not making use of your gifts and talents.

Everyone owns something. Everyone has something.

Something God placed within you before you were born.

When you embrace your natural abilities, life becomes more enjoyable.

Do not discard your gifts because you believe they are “small.”

Small gifts can open large doors.

When small talents are nurtured, they grow into large opportunities.

If you die without using your gift, the world will continue, but your soul will not.

8. Failing to learn a new skill

You cannot continue to pray for a better life while remaining the same person. You can’t keep praying for a better life while remaining the exact same person.

Learn something new, anything.

A language, a skill, a craft, or anything else that expands your knowledge and adds value.

No knowledge goes to waste.

It always appears somewhere in your future.

Five years from now, you’ll be glad you invested in your development.

9. Lack of savings

“I wish I had saved.” “If only I had saved…”

I’ve felt the sting myself, and it’s not pleasant.

Saving is not punishment; rather, it is a form of protection.

It’s peace and preparedness. It’s peace and preparedness.

My husband always says, “No matter how much money you make, you can save something, even if it’s small.”

And he’s correct.

If you don’t save when you have little, you won’t automatically save when you have a lot.

Your expenses will rise to match your income.

Consider how much you would have by now if you had started saving five years earlier.

Imagine how much future you will have if you start today.

Begin small.

Start right now.

10. Failure to invest

Saving is beneficial, but saving alone will not change your life.

Saving is the act of storing seeds, while investing is the process of planting them. Saving is like storing your seeds; investing is planting them.

Money can be kept in a jar for ten years and remain the same amount.

However, investing means that your money begins to work harder than you.

Many people avoid investing out of fear.

“What happens if I lose it?”

“What happens if the business fails?”

“What if this doesn’t work out?”

What if it happens?

What if that small step is the reason you’ll be financially secure five years from now?

Every investment involves risk, but so does doing nothing.

In fact, doing nothing poses the greatest risk because, while you avoid potential loss, you also avoid potential gain.

Invest in knowledge, assets, businesses, and your own future.

Imagine starting five years ago. Imagine if you had started five years ago.

Consider how much that small sum of money would be worth today.

Just imagine the peace of mind, the options, and the freedom.

In five years, you’ll wish you had planted something today.

Start small if necessary, but start!