I’ve always been a believer in regret. Although there is a strong “no ragrets” contingent in the world, I'm not buying it. Even if you're happy with where you ended up, you can still have regrets.

Of course, dwelling on regret isn’t healthy either, and believers of regret like myself are often guilty of that. But in Daniel Pink’s new book he convincingly argues for a healthy goldilocks scenario, just enough rumination to learn, but not enough to weigh you down.

Through the World Regret Survey, Daniel Pink compiled the world’s largest database of regrets ever collected. His analysis of those regrets not only helps the reader learn how to cope with them, but how to anticipate the future regrets your current actions, or more often inaction, are likely to cause. 

Here is what Daniel Pink’s deep structure of regret looks like, a framework for understanding the four core human regrets at their most foundational level.

Foundation Regrets → If only I'd done the work.

Boldness Regrets → If only I'd taken the risk.

Moral Regrets → If only I'd done the right thing.

Connection Regrets → If only I'd reached out.

This book will help you establish a healthy relationship with regret. If you’re already a regret person, you’ll learn how to do something healthy with those feelings. If you’re not a regret person, you’ll want to be by the end of the book. Regret is a treasure trove for learning about yourself, but only if you’re brave enough to admit your regrets and do something about them.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

Chinese Proverb