A friend who is in his fifties just made a significant career change.

I was in for a surprise when I asked him his motivation for making such a major move at a time when most people where kicking it into coast.

His prompt answer was, “regret minimalization.” He had been content where he was, and while he correctly thought he would enjoy his new position that was not his key decision metric.

“I’ve always believed that chasing happiness is a will o’ the wisp. It comes from within or not at all. Instead, I’ve always wanted to avoid having regrets. So when unique opportunities arise, I tend to seize them. I knew that if I didn’t move now, in a few years it would not be possible.”

There is a lot to be said for a philosophy of minimizing regrets.