Regrets, I’ve had a few..

If I had my time again, I wouldn’t spend so much time wondering what I’d do if I had my time again

We’ve all done it. Sitting in a quiet moment, perhaps staring wistfully out of a window, we play the game of “If I had my time again, I would...”

Perhaps you’d have bought Bitcoin when it was cheap, pursued the love of your life with more vigour, or spent less time watching TV and more time learning to play the piano.

Creating a retrospective wish list many be a harmless pastime but, and let’s be honest, there is nothing much to be gained from imagining your younger self as a wealthy, romantic and musically gifted genius.

The trouble is, time machines are in desperately short supply, and unless someone is keeping a very big secret, we can’t turn back the clock. Which means, in the grand scheme of things, playing “what if” is a bit like looking at the dessert menu after you’ve already paid the bill.

But here’s the good news: while we can’t rewrite the past, we can certainly start formulating our own future.

Instead of dwelling on paths not taken, why not build a new path? Sure, you may not be able to hop into a police box and buy Bitcoin at 50 cents, but you can still explore new investments, however modest.

Maybe you didn’t confess your love to that person all those years ago, but you can absolutely nurture the relationships you have now or even open yourself to new ones.

And while mastering the piano overnight is unlikely — although Bill Murray sort-of managed it in Groundhog Day — learning to plink out a tune is still very much on the table. (Just ask your neighbours if they’re OK with it first. Tell them your first choice of instrument was drums; that may bring them around.)

The key is to stop treating time as something we’ve lost and start seeing it as something we still have.

Whether it’s picking up a hobby, planning an adventure, or simply deciding to enjoy life more, the best moment to start is now.

So go ahead — write that book, start that business, take that trip, learn the salsa, or at the very least, order dessert before paying the bill.

While we can’t go back and change the past, we can absolutely make sure that, years from now, we don’t find ourselves playing the same old game of “If I had my time again...” with a brand-new list of regrets and even less time to make amends.

Do you have regrets? Have you made positive changes to your life? Share them!