Regret is something everyone experiences at one point or another. It would be impossible to go through life without experiencing any regret at all.

But sometimes, we put ourselves in positions where regret is almost guaranteed. Where we could have avoided the regret, but for whatever reason, we chose not to.

But the good news is that you don’t have to live that way. You can actively work towards removing regret from your life.

The following are a few signs, and accompanying fixes, that you may be setting yourself up for a regretful life.

How To Remove Regret From Your Life

Fix #1 – Stop Making Yourself a Victim

The Problem: You think that you’re at the mercy of the world, that you have no power over the outcome of your life. Any success you find is simply a coincidence and any failure you meet is beyond your control.

But if you’re not in control, who is?

The Fix: Realize you’re not a victim in life. You’re in the driver’s seat. You’re in control. No one has command over your life more than you do. Use that power you have, to create a life that you’re excited about. A life that you love.

You have the ability to make things happen in your life. Once you make this mindset shift, everything else becomes easier.

Fix #2 – Stop Holding Back Your Best Effort

The Problem: Your hesitant, you’re fearful, and you’re not giving 100% of your effort. Maybe you’re afraid of failing. Or maybe you’re afraid of success.

Whatever the reason, you’re just not giving it all you’ve got. And that’s a problem because giving a lackluster effort could be the difference between you living the life you dream of, and living a nightmare.

The Fix: Don’t be afraid to go all in. You have to believe that your effort won’t go unnoticed and that success and happiness are direct byproducts of you giving it all you’ve got.

You’ll never regret giving something the maximum amount of effort.

Fix #3 – Start Making Decisions for Yourself, Not for Others

The Problem: Your Father picked your career, your mother picked your spouse, and now your spouse is deciding everything else.

You’re absolutely setting yourself up for a regretful life if you let everyone around you make decisions for you. They can’t get inside your head, so they don’t know what you really want.

And even if they do know, they’re judgment is so clouded by their own wants and desires that your needs end up taking a back seat.

The Fix: Start making your own decisions. Make the decisions that are right for you, not the decisions that other people think are right for you. No one knows you better than you.

You may hurt some feelings, you may even lose some relationships, but neither of those are as important as you living the life you really want to live.

Fix #4 – Stop Being Full of Excuses

The Problem: You always have a reason why you couldn’t do something, either because the time wasn’t right, or you had something else to do. But here’s the problem, excuses are probably the number one reason people live with regret.

Excuses suck because they stop you doing what you want to, achieving your goals, and creating a life worth living, even though you’re fully capable.

The Fix: Stop with the excuses. Get really clear about what you want and why you want it. Then the next time an excuse tries to creep it’s way in, ask yourself, “If this excuse more important than my goals in life?” Chances are, it’s not.

Fix #5 – Start Listening to Your Heart

The Problem: You know exactly what your heart is guiding you towards, but you’re afraid to follow it. You’re afraid that people may criticize you. You’re afraid that you may fail. You’re afraid that you may be judged.

But looking at the bigger picture, what’s more important? Are you willing to ignore your heart, your passions, and your biggest dreams because of what other people might say?

The Fix: Realize that everyone is going to judge you, so you might as well let them judge while you do something you love. Listen to your heart, follow your passions, and let the naysayers talk all they want.