Will you regret not doing it?

Like this time every year, many of us are looking back to the work we did in 2011, asking the big questions once again: How did this year go? Did I spend my time on the things that matter, or was I just going with the flow, keeping up with my routines? Throughout history, smart people have shared their tools for approaching the question. One of my favorites is this one from Derek Sivers. Quoting from his book, Anything You Want:

When you make a business, you get to make a little universe where you control all the laws. This is your utopia.

Or said in another way:

Complete the sentence: "In a perfect world..." Then get to work creating that perfect world.

This is great advice. But there is another idea that has been growing in my mind these past days, which I'd like to share with you. Here's how it goes:

Looking at every possible path (you think) you can take, ask yourself: "If I decide to skip this opportunity, will I regret it when I'm too old to give it a try?"

Most item on that list of good ideas won't create any emotional reaction. Maybe you'll think that it would be a shame to not implement them, but that's your analytical brain speaking. And then there's the one that makes you feel your heart beat. The one that scares you. It's the one that always returns, no matter how many times you bury it. And already now, you regret that you haven't jumped in with both feet and explored it properly. If you regret it now, how much more will you regret when it's too late? That's the path you will have to take. Stay on it until there is no question of whether it will get you anywhere or not. Work hard so you know you gave it your best. This way, in the end, even if things don't work out, there will be no need for regret.