My Biggest Regret: The Years Lost to Waiting

Lessons from hesitation

My Biggest Regret: The Years Lost to Waiting

Looking back, I wish I had acted sooner instead of letting indecision steal precious time and experiences from my youth.

There’s a regret I want to share with you—not the regret of making a wrong choice, but the regret of not choosing at all. If you asked me whether I’d do everything the same if I could start over at 17 or 18, my answer would be, “Not exactly.” My biggest regret isn’t a dramatic failure or a single missed opportunity. It’s the slow loss that comes from waiting too long to act.

The Regret of Waiting

Looking back, I wish I had left Europe sooner. I wish I’d set out earlier for Canada, Vancouver, Wellington in New Zealand, South Australia. I wanted to travel across Asia, Oceania, North America—and Latin America too, though I never made it. Instead of Costa Rica, I ended up in the Canary Islands. Costa Rica and French Guiana are still on my bucket list. I’ve only met a couple of people from French Guiana, including a flatmate in Manchester who moved to Paris to study hospitality and then came to Manchester for an internship. Meeting her only deepened my curiosity about her home country.

But the real regret isn’t about missing specific places. It’s about the years I spent hesitating, unsure of what to do next. I waited. I stalled. I lost time—time that could have been filled with new experiences and people.

The Cost of Hesitation

We all hesitate. Sometimes, we don’t know what we want. Sometimes, we’re afraid to make the wrong choice. But waiting—doing nothing—costs us more than making a mistake ever could. When you’re lost in the desert and dying of thirst, you have to pick a direction and walk. Maybe you’ll choose wrong at first and find only mirages. But at least you’ll know, and you can turn back and try another way. If you stand still, you’re guaranteed to get nowhere.

That’s how it is in life. You have to move forward, even if you’re not sure which way to go. I stagnated for two or three years, paralyzed by indecision. Looking back, I realize I could have left sooner and saved myself years of wondering and waiting. My real regret is not acting earlier—because I didn’t know what I wanted, I didn’t choose at all.

Action Is Always Better Than Inaction

If you’re hesitating—about starting a business, traveling, or beginning something new—my advice is simple: do it. If your options are to do nothing or to try something, always choose action. If you’re torn between two paths, follow your heart. If you pick the wrong one, you’ll know, and you can always try the other. The only way to learn is by making mistakes. The biggest mistake is doing nothing at all.

When you act, even if your first attempt isn’t perfect, you gain experience. You learn. You move forward. My hope is that by sharing this regret, I can help you avoid losing time to hesitation.

The Beauty of the Path

If your life feels beautiful, if the path you’re on feels right, you don’t need to worry about where it leads. You simply enjoy the journey. But if you’re uncomfortable, if you know deep down that you’re not living your ideal life, it’s time to change. Don’t settle for “okay” when you want something more.

I know what it’s like to feel stuck in a routine that doesn’t quite fit—a daily grind that’s not painful, but not fulfilling either. Maybe you’re waiting for the perfect moment, thinking you’ll have more time or money later. But life only gets busier. Obligations pile up. The best time to act is always now.

Don’t put off what you want to do today. The only way forward is to take action, even if you’re afraid or unsure. Life is too short to wait.