Regrets can be a horrible doubt-driven emotion that just won’t go away. You may face regrets in your daily life, but the feeling can be even more stifling when it comes to decisions you make in your business. Regrets often appear as feelings of doubt and insecurity, and they can make you second-guess even the most basic choices you’ve made.
It’s an awful way to live, and if you have regrets frequently, it can lead to the demise of a business. The solution is controlling the doubt and teaching yourself how to make confident decisions and stick by them, whatever the result may be. Here are some ways to begin to build your decision-making confidence and rid your business of regrets and reservations.
Know Your Purpose
Regrets can arise when you’re not completely sure what you’re aiming for and lack the certainty that you’re doing the right thing at the right time. This is one of the reasons why goals are so important. In order to have confidence that your decisions are the right ones, you need a clear understanding of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and where you want to go next.
Take Risks
One very common regret is wishing you had taken advantage of an opportunity when it presented itself because you may never know what could have been. Don’t let the conquerable challenges sway your resolve; be willing to take a chance. Even if the outcome isn’t what you hoped, you can revel in the knowledge that you went for it when you had the chance.
Think Before You Act
While risk-taking is usually necessary to be successful in business, you may put yourself right back in the regret-zone if you act rashly. Think through the pros and cons of potential opportunities before jumping in with both feet. If you do the necessary research and strive to make well-informed and levelheaded decisions, you will eliminate the potential for regrets.
Have Realistic Expectations
Regrets often pop up when our expectations are not met. It’s hard not to wish things had gone differently if you feel disappointed. Keep yourself grounded even when you’re excited by the possibilities, and don’t let your outlook be driven by how the actual result measures up to the perfect outcome.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Even though much in business may be impacted by external sources, ultimately your success or failure rests squarely on your own shoulders. Recognize that you have sole control over the path you chose to reach where you are right now. Take ownership of the decisions you’ve made, even when things don’t turn out quite as you hoped they would.
Appreciate What You Have
Nothing is perfect, and frequent regrets can mask all of the positive things you have to be thankful for. Instead of focusing on what could have happened, what went wrong, or what other path you should have taken, focus on living in the moment by celebrating all that you have accomplished thus far.
Do you find that you are slowed down by regrets? What do you do to get past it?
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Alyssa GregoryAlyssa Gregory is a digital and content marketer, small business consultant, and the founder of the Small Business Bonfire — a social, educational and collaborative community for entrepreneurs.
