Survey of retired CEOs, quote from John Maxwell's 15 Laws of Growth

[Charis Hillman Brown]

Regret is a common theme among those looking back at their lives.  In his book Aspire, Kevin Hall tells about a trip he made with a group of Boy Scouts, and his desire to inspire them to set bold goals for themselves. He did that by telling them about a study of retired successful executives conducted by Gerald Bell, a noted behavioral scientist.  Hall writes, “I told them what Dr. Bell found when he asked them what they would do differently if they had lived their lives over again.”  

Their response was:

1. I should have taken charge of my life, and set my goals earlier.  Life isn’t practice, it’s the real thing.
2. I would have taken better care of my health
3. I would have managed my money better
4. I would have spent more time with my family
5. I would have spent more time on personal development
6. I would have had more fun
7. I would have planned my career better
8. I would have given more back