From Bronnie Ware:
#2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle."
I have been at my job for 30 years now. I stayed home with my children the first three months of their lives, but after that I was a working mom. My children stayed with their grandparents for a a while, then went to daycare. I have never regretted this. It kept me from going insane, and it taught my children a wealth of social skills and gave them the head start they needed to make a successful entry into today's school environment. But oddly, at this point in my life, I wish I didn't work so much. My children are teenagers, and don't need me in the same way, but I am tired. My house is not organized the way I would like. I don't have time to do some of the things I would like to do. But I am in a financial situation where I must work to help pay the mortgage and other bills. While I do not feel I will ever regret working, I hope that I will not have to work full-time until I am 70! Maybe I do need to simplify things a bit.
I do know there are Detach readers who will relate to this entry more than I do. To them I would say work hard for now but have a deadline in mind. Visualize yourself in five years. Ten years. Where do you want to be? Can you simplify? You will know when the time is right.
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