Live Like You’re Dying (But Don’t Wait Until Then)
Hi Reader,
💡 Today’s Niblit: In Taking Stock, hospice doctor Jordan Grumet reveals the most common regrets of the dying are rarely about money or career achievements. His patients consistently wish they had lived more authentically, worked less, expressed their feelings, maintained friendships, and allowed themselves more happiness.
🔑 Key Insight: The five major regrets identified by Grumet through years of hospice work show a profound disconnect between what we chase and what ultimately matters. None of these end-of-life regrets involve wishing for more wealth, better investments, or career advancement — they center on authentic living, connection, and joy.
Think of your life as a portfolio where you’re likely overinvested in career advancement and underinvested in areas that yield the highest emotional returns. It’s like spending your life collecting expensive furniture for a house you never actually live in — the value sits unused while the true wealth of experience passes you by.
This matters because recognizing this pattern now gives you the chance to reallocate your “life assets” before facing the same regrets. By understanding what the dying wish they had done differently, you gain the profound advantage of making those changes while time is still on your side.
🦉 Nibble of Wisdom: “We need to learn how to change now, before it’s too late, before we are on our deathbeds… What investments are my patients most proud of, and for which do they feel remorse?”
🛠️ Practical Tip: Conduct a personal “regret audit” using the five categories from the book and identify where your current investments of time and energy are misaligned with what you’ll ultimately value most.
🚀 Quick Action: Take 10 minutes right now to list one simple action you can take in each of the five regret categories. Choose the easiest one and do it before the day ends — whether that’s calling an old friend, expressing a feeling you’ve held back, or doing something purely for joy.
🔍 Further Exploration:
Reflect on your “authenticity gap” — where are you living someone else’s script rather than your own?
Consider which relationships you’ve let fade that deserve renewal.
Explore the concept of Hedonic Adaptation and how it might be keeping you from prioritizing happiness now.
What would your 80-year-old self thank you for changing today?
🎬 Wrapup: Remember, financial wealth is meaningless without the emotional wealth of a life well-lived. The dying have handed us their wisdom like an inheritance — let’s not wait until our final days to spend it. Your life portfolio needs rebalancing now, while you still have time to enjoy the returns.
