30 Regrets Everyone Has Over 50

1. Failing to live in the moment

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One of the most common regrets that came up time and time again for people after 30 was failing to live in the moment. When we go through life it's natural to always be thinking about a thousand things at a time and worrying about the job we have to do next - but it's often regretted after!

2. Not savoring their childhood more

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Childhood is the only time in life when we have no responsibilities and usually nothing to worry about. And it's often something that we completely take for granted at the time. Then as people get older they look back to this time with fondness and wish they'd appreciated each moment.

3. Placing too much importance on things

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By the time you're over 50, you've reached an age of wisdom where you realize what is truly important. But you'll also recognize that this isn't always how you look at things. people often regret placing so much importance on what car they were driving, what bag they wanted to buy, or what their house looked like!

4. Not putting your all into your education

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When you're at school, you want it to be finished. For most children, are not fully engrossed in algebra or making the most out of their history class, they focus on finishing the day and what they're doing at the weekend. But as people get older they wish they; 'd got the most out of their education!

5. Not being present with your kids more

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Family is the most important thing and this is something that those over 50s realize. So then a common regret is not having been more present with their kids. Instead of savoring those precious moments they may have been not fully focused, or worrying about something else.

6. Or not having children

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Another common regret that came up a lot from certain people over 50 was not having kids at all. Some people had found that time had passed them by without having found the right partner or just ever finding the time to have children and then finding that it was too late.

7. Not going for your dream job

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Only as we get older do we realize that we shouldn't allow things to hold us back or for our own thoughts to stand in the way of going for what we want. Many people over 50 regretted not going for their dream job and being stopped by their own thoughts or by never finding the 'right' time.

8. Being too scared to ask that person out

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Sometimes our childhood sweetheart or a crush really makes an impression on our hearts and as people get older they regret not just daring to ask that person out. When you get over 50 you realize that the fear that stopped you from asking someone out could've prevented something great from blossoming.

9. Being stuck in a mindset

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When people over the age of 50 were asked what they regretted, many people stated that it was being stuck in their mindset. As we age we naturally become more 'stuck in our ways' which are molded by our experiences, what we believe, and how we perceive things but it can be difficult to shift this way of thinking.

10. Not accomplishing more

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Not accomplishing more is something that people often look back on and regret. At the time we rarely see our true potential, and only on reflection do we realize we maybe could've done much more. Not feeling as though you've fulfilled your potential can be really hard to accept!

11. Letting passion fizzle out

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Passion isn't something that will naturally be there forever on its own. It has to be worked at and kept alive through effort and time. But, in the everyday running's of busy life, it is something that many of us let go and the passion can fizzle out before we even realize it.

12. Spending time sweating the small stuff

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Whenever you look back at your younger self, at any age, you would tell yourself not to 'sweat the small stuff'. All of those things you spent hours worrying about in the end are often meaningless. And these small things can cloud our judgments and get in the way of our happiness.

13. Not saving more for retirement

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Who doesn't wish they'd saved more money when they were younger? I'm sure we all look back and think of money frittering away and wish we'd been slightly more sensible. Especially after the age of 50 when retirement is nearing and you realize you didn't put as much as you should into your retirement fund.

14. Not appreciating your parents enough

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Another realization we have with age is just HOW important people are in our lives, and how much our parents did for us. Only when you've been there yourself can you comprehend what your parents went through for you? You wish you'd given them the appreciation they deserved.

15. Being held back by embarrassment or fear

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How often in life do we let embarrassment or fear hold us back from doing things or even trying things? All of the time. Sometimes we don't even realize it. It becomes so ingrained in us that we allow it to take over. But it's something that as you get older, you wish you hadn't been allowed to take over.

16. Not looking after your health more

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Health is our most precious gift, yet the majority of us sometimes take it for granted. It's super easy to call a takeout when things get busy or neglect to go to the gym for months on end, and in the scheme of things these things don't matter. But year on year neglecting our health can make a difference in the long run.

17. Prioritizing career over family life

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It's very difficult to live a life without any regrets. As they reach 50 some people feel like they let work outweigh their family life. When you have to put food on the table and have to raise children at the same time, you may feel as though sometimes work overshadows those moments.

18. Not being more romantic

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Why is it that a lot of people don't allow their romantic side to come out? Embarrassment? Fear of rejection? All of these things get in the way of us showing our romantic side. But this is often regretted because romance is a great way to show people we love them and a way to keep the spark alive.

19. Playing it safe too much and holding yourself back

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If you think back on the past there are probably countless occasions or maybe just a general trend of feeling as though you 'played it safe' and held yourself back. This is to protect yourself in some way, but people do regret the opportunities that it stopped them from participating in.

20. Not setting yourself goals

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Another regret that people over the age of 50 spoke about was not setting themselves goals. This was because goals allow people to stay on track and achieve things. When we don't have goals it's easy to keep 'drifting' without feeling as though you are actually achieving something.

21. Not enjoying the little things

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The little moments in life really are the most important because these are what make up the majority of our time. While grand occasions and once-in-a-lifetime vacations feel amazing, it's the little things that happen daily. Not enjoying these more can be a huge regret.

22. Not reaching out to people and losing touch

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As we get older, life naturally takes people in different directions and it's extremely easy to lose touch with people along the way, even if these people were close friends or important people in our lives. But as we get older and friends dwindle we often regret not reaching out and making more effort!

23. Always wanting more and not being satisfied with what you have

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Striving for more can be seen as ambition, but at what point does always striving for more actually take away from being satisfied with what we have? While it's good to keep on striving, it's also good to feel happy with what you DO have, rather than dissatisfied with what you don't.

24. Worrying too much about what other people think

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It's very human to be conscious of what other people think of us. But this can also stop us from being who we really are or doing what we actually want to do. And when you get older you realize that it does;lt matter what people think, and you should never have let this stand in the way.

25. Not ending bad relationships sooner

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People over 50 agreed that one regret was definitely not ending a bad relationship sooner. It may feel very difficult at the time, yet on reflection when you are not happy in a situation you regret having wasted so much time because you may not have wanted to make the decision at the time.

26. Not encouraging your children's independence

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As a parent, you are responsible for raising a child to be happy, but also independent. Some people over 50 discussed how they regretted not encouraging their children's independence more so that they were overly reliant on them rather than forging their own path.

27. Choosing relationships over career

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Some people regretted choosing a career over relationships, and others over 50 regretted choosing a relationship over a career. It all depends on how things worked out for you, and whether you felt that the choice you did make was the right one for you. But in the end, none of us can ever know until we try.

28. Trying to live up to other people's expectations

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Why do we all actually feel as though we have to live up to someone's expectations when really the only expectations that we do need to live up to are our own? In fact, this was something that people over the age of 50 regretted, trying to make other people happy rather than themselves.

29. Holding on to grudges

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Grudges are really only detrimental to the person holding them. In fact, they are completely useless and only fill us with negativity and resentment. When you reach a mature age you realize that they were completely pointless and only made YOU feel bad.

30. Not traveling the world more

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You can travel the world at any age, but often people over 50 regret not making the most of their youth or years that they weren't tied down by responsibilities, a family, or a mortgage. People over 50 wish that they would have traveled and made the most of their time.