Well, we all have financial regrets. Some accept them in front of everyone whereas others curse themselves silently. It’s a horrible feeling. Do you criticise yourself over your past financial mistakes? Do you regret your past financial decisions? Do you often ask yourself - “What if I didn’t make that decision?” Do you wish things were done differently?
Financial woes are bad. We tend to become too much self-critical. Often when we are idle, we replay our mistakes in our mind and suffer.
Here are a few tips to overcome your worst financial regrets.
1. Vent out to your friend:
Talk about your financial regrets to your close friend. Tell your regrets to someone you trust. Tell someone who would love you even after hearing your regrets. Tell someone who won’t judge you based on your past behavior. Talk specifically about what you regret like:
- Borrowing student loans and not finishing studies
- Not saving enough money
- Incurring too much credit card debt
- Borrowing a payday loan
Talk directly and frankly. It will help to heal you.
2. Don’t be angry at yourself:
It is quite easy to forgive others but it is equally tough to forgive yourself. Think rationally. You won’t get anything by staying angry at yourself. You won’t achieve your retirement dreams. You’ll be discontent and are more likely to make costly financial mistakes. Don’t let your past ruin your financial future.
3. Learn from your mistake:
Did you learn anything from your mistake? What is the biggest lesson you learned from your mistake? If you face a similar situation, how would you deal with it? Would you handle it differently? Think about it.
4. Move on:
There is a good side in everything. You have learned a good lesson from your financial mistake. You have endured the pain and suffered a lot. Now you should try to move on. You should try to take new steps that would make you happy. Set up an automatic savings account or sit with a good financial advisor or give up your credit cards. Take any one step. You’ll feel good.
5. Think why you made the blunder:
Do you know why you made this blunder? What were you thinking at that time? Did you think that your income was enough to pay off a debt? Were you clueless about your life? Did you have a fantasy that one day you will win a lottery? Were you too engrossed in your love life to think about money? Did you think that all your problems will be resolved magically? Think about the reason why you made that fatal money mistake.
It is easy to repeat a mistake if you don’t know the reason why you did it. Sometimes, your close friend can help you out. You can ask your friend, “Why did I make that mistake? What was the reason?” I can’t understand. I’m clueless. Can you help me?
6. Don’t blame others:
Don’t blame someone else for your mistake. Don’t accuse your spouse or friend. You made the mistake. Accept it. And if you don’t accept your mistake, then there’s a high chance of repeating it. That is not right.
Conclusion
It is human to make mistakes. And your mistakes don’t define you. It’s about what you do about them is important. It’s your ability to see and learn that helps you be an amazing human being.
Healing your relationship with money is an adventurous journey, full of twists and turns. You have to forgive yourself so that you can continue the journey in harmony. Too much guilt can stop you from moving forward. So try to move on. Use the aforementioned tips to deal with your financial regrets in the right way.
