A good portion of us exert a simple neck twist once in awhile to reveal how we are stacking up. We want to know how we are doing and we look to our neighbors as odd measuring sticks. We all know that’s a terrible strategy but an addictive one to break. Search hard enough and the Joneses are always going to have more or less.

When I am able to avoid the Joneses-trap, I still have a handsome nemesis that lives inside the glass of my bathroom vanity.

Even more tiring than keeping up with the Joneses is keeping up with myself. That little inner voice that lives so close to my left ear that the two should split rent on my headspace. A slight whisper is all it takes from that voice to plant a forest of seeds.

I was recently thinking about where I am at in life. I’m pretty close to where I thought I would be, but maybe just a little behind in experience at this point. My inner voice is letting me know I’ve fallen short of my own past expectations.

The gap that stretches between past expectations and current reality is what creates my regret. The wider the gap, the deeper the regret. Regret is always linked with all those nasty would’ve should’ves we tell ourselves.

Three personal examples starting from low to high in regret are the following.

• I wish I would’ve taken a different way to work.
• I shouldn’t have signed that two year gym membership.
• I thought I would’ve had more years of experience in my career right now.

These are all true examples of past and present regret in my life. Each with their own unique gap between past expectations and current reality.

I have luckily gotten over that one slow ride to work and wasted money on an old gym membership (a new gym with a basketball court opened up, how could I not jump). However the regret for lack of experience in my career sticks with me. The gap is wide between my past expectations and current reality.

I’ve worked in marketing in random forms for about 10 years now. Many of these jobs leading me to question my skills of decision making.

When you find yourself in a 100+ degree Wienermobile Food Truck pushing staff to make more samples for drunk people at the Taste of Dallas… it’s hard not to ask yourself, “How did I get here?”.

All this previous jumping around sometimes has me feeling a little behind in my current career.  Sometimes I wish I found my current path much earlier. I’m pretty sure obscure hotdog knowledge isn’t transferring over to my current career.

“I should’ve found this career path earlier and I’d have 10 years of experience instead of 1 right now.” 

Oh those pesky would’ve and should’ves come bouncing in like an Australian marsupial. Her front pouch spilling over with demoralizing morsels of regret.

I know experience is essential.

Experience breeds confidence, and confidence is the cinnamon stir stick in the hot apple cider of success.

I’ve recently stumbled on a thought. The quickest way to increase my experience in a flash. All it takes is a simple flip in perspective.

Perspective 1

As it currently stands, I am the least experienced I will be for the rest of my life. 

My regret has lead me to this false limitation. Why should I speak up when I have so much to learn still?

Perspective 2

As is currently stands, I am the most experienced I have been in my entire life. 

That’s right folks. Every time you talk to me you get me at the pinnacle of my career experience.

I am certain regret will follow me as I yonder this big spinning blue marble. It is a natural thing to think about. It’s impossible to change our past expectations. Many times we can’t change our present situation immediately either (curse you two year gym membership contracts). But we always have unlimited control over our current perspective.

Perspective is a vice that squeezes the gap that creates regret. So if you find yourself filled with regret, maybe prescribing a shift in perspective is the cure.

You can trust me on this, I am the most experienced I have been in my entire life right now.

ps – One minute and 30 seconds into this video is where I pulled the picture of me from the Fox and Friends episode. I was not told I would be on camera. Very awkward.