Live your life anyway

It's easy to get caught up in worries about inflation, interest rates, recessions, and everything else.

There are so many negative headlines and things to worry about in 2023.

It's easy to second guess ourselves and wonder:

Should I put off that trip?

Should I wait to start that business?

Should I hold off on that life decision?

What if it's a mistake?

Maybe we can make it happen next year. When things are less uncertain.

Prudence makes sense. Forethoughtfulness is prized as a trait. It is smart to think about risks and negative outcomes before making a decision.

But the idea that the world will ever be less uncertain is an illusion.

There's always something going on in life and the world.

The future holds no guarantees, and we can never perfectly predict what's waiting for us around the corner.

We can't let that uncertainty paralyze us.

What if the bad things don't happen and you missed out anyway? How would that feel?

Amazing opportunities don't come around all that often. They usually can't be scheduled or planned for.

And once they're gone … they're gone. That version of yourself is gone. You've moved on and the door is closed.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Every new opportunity carries risks and closes other doors. You don't need to act on each one to live a great life.

What's important is this: Don't give up on opportunities out of fear of uncertainty and regret your choice later.

One of the most useful frameworks for making a big decision is asking yourself:

“Twenty years from now, what will I regret more? Doing this or not doing this?”

This kind of fast-forward into your future is a useful way to cut through short-term uncertainty and get to the core of what's important to you.

Every choice carries risk and uncertain outcomes. But that's life, isn't it?