TL;DR: Top Regrets of Retirees That Entrepreneurs Can Learn From
Older adults reflect that focusing too much on career success and external validation often leads to regrets. Retirees in their 70s commonly wish they had prioritized relationships, personal joy, and authentic living.
• Spend more time with loved ones instead of overworking.
• Pursue passion over stability to avoid unfulfilled dreams.
• Stop postponing happiness for retirement.
Avoid their mistakes by balancing work and well-being now. Schedule family time, focus on health, and pursue what truly matters.
Regret is profoundly human, and particularly illuminating when it’s shared by individuals reflecting on entire lifetimes. As a European entrepreneur, my daily life is filled with to-do lists, productivity hacks, and endless networking opportunities. That’s why a startling trend among people in their 70s caught my attention. When retirees open up about their regrets, they’re often centered around misplaced priorities, missed relationships, and unwarranted fears. Lessons that hold immense power to reshape the way we think about personal and professional choices.
According to Lachlan Brown’s study on life reflections from individuals in their seventies, there are common regrets that emerge again and again. As entrepreneurs striving for success, we stand at the intersection of dreams and overcommitments, which makes these revelations more relevant than we might admit. Ready to learn from those who’ve walked several decades further down the road? Let’s dig into the regrets shared by those who know the impact of unwise priorities firsthand.
What are the common regrets people in their 70s wish they’d avoided?
Here’s the overarching theme, material success, career growth, and external validation often lose their significance in hindsight. Instead, deeper satisfaction lies in relationships, authentic living, and prioritizing joy. Below, I’ll break down 10 key regrets identified in meticulous research. Let’s use this insight as entrepreneur-coded wisdom for redesigning our own priorities today.
- Not spending enough time with loved ones
- Choosing stability over passion
- Letting others dictate life choices
- Delaying personal happiness for “later”
- Ignoring physical health in earlier years
- Allowing grudges to fester
- Postponing travel and experiences
- Prioritizing productivity over leisure
- Failing to express genuine feelings
- Over-investing in others’ opinions
How does regret #1, neglected family time, apply to founders?
Founders often find themselves consumed by the demands of building businesses, leaving limited room for quality time with loved ones. From missing school plays to skipping dinner with loved ones, these sacrifices stack prominently in the lives of retirees who prioritized career over connection. For example, My Retired Life YouTube channel features a heartfelt story of a man who barely remembers his business appointments but feels the absence of moments spent with his kids. This is a warning I take to heart, and I urge fellow entrepreneurs to ask: “Are the closures worth your missed connections?”
Why is “Choosing Stability Over Passion” a trap?
Career choices dictated by fear of instability have left countless retirees wondering what could have been. A woman who gave 30 years to a steady government role rather than pursuing art lamented the loss of her soul-driven dream. As entrepreneurs, we’re often caught between chasing practical revenue streams and pursuing heart-led projects. Unlike static careers, a startup provides room for unique passions, but only if you deliberately carve space for them. Learn how retirees overcame stability anxiety.
What happens when you postpone happiness?
The overwhelming regret among retirees is postponing personal enjoyment for retirement years only to face physical limitations later. This presents a sharp wake-up call for founders who promise themselves downtime “after launch” or “after funding.” You might not become the healthiest version of yourself in the future unless you start valuing weekends now. Remember, departures from constant hustle are what help creativity thrive too.
How can entrepreneurs avoid the same regrets?
Avoiding these patterns requires intention and adjustments we can adopt today. Here are practical ways entrepreneurs like myself have learned to protect long-term balance:
- Schedule non-negotiable time for family. Whether it’s an hour each evening or one “no-work Saturday” per month, relational rituals matter.
- Drop perfectionism in networking and investor relationships, let authenticity and efficiency lead rather than unnecessary approvals.
- Build physical health habits that endure: move daily, say no to burnout, and prioritize food that sustains cognition and energy.
- Streamline decision-making to free emotional bandwidth for leisure time.
- Proactively resolve conflicts to keep grudges from snowballing unnecessarily.
- Plan personalized vacations with friends or trusted colleagues without postponing missing bandwidth.
Most common mistakes in shifting priorities?
- Addressing work-life imbalance too late in a career runs the risk of non-correctable consequences.
- Equating leisure time with wasted time without considering well-being its self-priority.
- Investing effort mostly driven by external validation distracts mental stamina or non-controllables offset accumulating effects rendering satisfaction susceptible wave instability externally.
FAQ on Common Regrets From Seniors in Their 70s
What lessons can entrepreneurs learn from the regret of neglecting family time?
Entrepreneurs often sacrifice personal moments for business commitments, leading to later-life regrets about missing important family events. A notable example is shared on the "My Retired Life" YouTube channel, where a retired businessman admitted forgetting most of his meetings but vividly remembered his absence at his children’s school plays. To counteract this regret, entrepreneurs can prioritize intentional time with loved ones, such as “no-work weekends” or enforced family dinner rituals. This strategy fosters connection without undermining professional goals. Watch insights on family time from retirees.
Why do people regret choosing stability over their passions?
Security often leads people into careers that prioritize financial comfort over fulfillment. For example, a government worker regretted spending 30 years in a non-dream job instead of pursuing art, highlighting how fear of instability suppresses authenticity. Entrepreneurs should reflect deeply on their startup's vision and reserve space for projects aligned with their core passions. Passion-infused pursuits often yield long-term satisfaction. Read about stability anxiety regrets.
What impact does postponing happiness have on regret?
Many seniors regret waiting for milestones to enjoy life, such as delaying travel or hobbies for retirement years. Founders may relate, often promising themselves relaxation “after funding” or “post-launch.” However, as retirees warn, physical vitality may diminish, making such experiences less enjoyable or entirely inaccessible. Build weekly rituals like leisure time to avoid the happiness trap. See detailed reflections on delayed enjoyment.
How does entrepreneurship challenge physical health over time?
Entrepreneurs often push their limits, risking long-term health issues due to poor self-care. Retirees regret not adopting healthy habits earlier, exercise, balanced diets, and managing stress sustainably. To prevent burnout and improve longevity, entrepreneurs should purposefully incorporate work-life balance methods and focus on daily wellness. Integrating short breaks for mindfulness or scheduling workouts can be invaluable. Reference retiree health lessons.
Do people regret holding grudges into retirement age?
Seniors frequently reflect on the emotional toll of unresolved conflicts. For example, two sisters carried a grudge for 15 years due to a minor dispute, which irreparably damaged their relationship. Entrepreneurs, prone to competitive rivalries, can benefit from proactively resolving personal and professional tensions through open communication and forgiveness. Emotional reconciliation saves energy for productive endeavors. Explore stories about prolonged grudges.
Why do people regret prioritizing external validation too much?
Entrepreneurs might relate to the regret about living for social approval, whether from investors, associates, or peers, instead of following intrinsic values. Seniors echo this realization, wishing they'd trusted personal instincts over societal persuasion. Entrepreneurs can navigate decision-making with boundary-setting and authentic leadership, reducing burnout while fostering deeper satisfaction. Learn insights from authenticity lessons.
How does holding back emotions lead to regret?
Not expressing gratitude, love, or personal truths is a common regret voiced by retirees in studies. They wish they had communicated openly, born out in examples of lost opportunities to deepen family bonds. As entrepreneurs, maintaining thoughtful communication with collaborators and loved ones can enrich connections, fostering mutual understanding and a thriving support system. Reflect on retirees’ lessons in emotional honesty.
Can leisure enhance work-life balance despite busy schedules?
Leisure is critical but often overlooked, according to retirees lamenting decades dominated by work. Entrepreneurs, especially, experience imbalance by chasing productivity over passion or joy. Scheduling leisure activities intentionally, such as vacations or dedicated evenings away from work, improves creativity and prioritizes life’s simple pleasures without sacrificing ambition. Discover leisure-focused corrections.
Is delayed travel one of the main regrets among retirees?
Many retirees regret postponing travel until retirement, only to encounter health issues or financial barriers. Entrepreneurs can incorporate bite-sized travel experiences throughout their careers, such as short trips or remote work from inspiring locations, ensuring such dreams don’t fall victim to age or missed opportunities. Study examples of regret-based travel postponements.
How does fear-based decision-making manifest as regret later on?
Plenty of retirees regret avoiding risk to pursue conventional paths or business deals due to fear of judgment or failure. Entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to redefine calculated risks, aligning efforts with passion-driven choices rather than societal pressures. Harnessing courage affords long-term fulfillment rather than regret. Understand deeper consequences of security-driven decisions.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the point of view of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.