You of course know that the decisions you make affect your future.…But what a lot of guys don’t remember:

It’s not just the big things (like going to college, getting married, and having children) that have a big impact…

…it’s the seemingly tiny decisions you make consistently (like adding to your retirement account every month or daily exercise/consistent healthy eating).

And I get it:

Those things seem so small compared to the bigger stuff… but those tiny decisionshave a huge impact on your future. Think about it: is it easier to fund a retirement account in a week… or over a 30-year period? And is it easier to lose 20 lbs. over the weekend… or by exercising and eating healthy every day?

In other words: by not doing the little things, their small impact builds up to have aconsiderably larger impact.

Make sense?

So guys… to help you prevent an angry and regretful future you, I’ve outlined 7 of the biggest regrets he will have, plus included a powerful action step that you can take now to help you avoid them.

PS: they’re in no particular order, so take your time to read them all… your future self will be happy you did.

Regret #1: Not Taking Care Of Your Body’s Ultimate Protection (Your Skin)

You probably don’t think about it much… but your skin is the barrier between you and the world. It protects your fragile insides from temperature change, infection, and harmful debris. In many ways, it’s your best asset.

…So, since your skin is your greatest protector, why wouldn’t you take good care of it?

If you don’t, and your protective barrier becomes weak and thin (loose, drapey, with visible veins), you’ll bruise easily, and even be more prone to cuts and tears (which can lead to harmful infection inside your protective skin barrier).

…Or your skin can turn leathery and tough from over-exposure to the sun/sunburn. And not only does this look bad, but it can actually alter your DNA and cause skin cancer.

Regret #2: Allowing Your Hair Loss To Wreck Your Confidence

This statistic blew my mind:

A third of men in the UK allow hair loss to wreck their confidence.

Now:

What surprised me wasn’t that so many men were losing their hair (over 50 million men in the US suffer from hair loss)… what surprised me was that so many guyswere letting something that they can do something about adversely affect their confidence.

And to me, it’s sad.

Confidence is so  important in our daily lives (it gives you courage to ask for a raise, the willpower to ask that beautiful girl on a date, the self-assurance to make big changes in your life, etc.)… and if something is hurting that, and you can do something about it, why wouldn’t you?

And here’s the scary thing about hair loss (and why future you will be mad if you don’t do something):

Hereditary hair loss is a progressive condition… so if you don’t do something about it, you’ll continue to lose more and more hair (and confidence) over time.

Here’s the bottom line: hereditary hair loss isn’t going to stop (and will affect 32% of all men by the time they turn 35)… which is why I’m suggesting (from experience… see below) that you do something about it now.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR, KYLE:

While a lot of men who suffer the confidence blow from hair lossjust deal with it, I prefer to actually solve the problem: I’ve used Men’s Rogaine^® Unscented Foam for a few years now and I’m loving the improvement I see. And that’s why I was so excited when Rogaine^® reached out and wanted partner with us on a post. We only work with companies I love, but it’s great when it’s a company I love and that I’ve been consistently using their product for so long.

My hairline started receding and my crown started thinning my freshman year of college. Sophomore year, I decided to try Men’s Rogaine^® Unscented Foam. All I did was apply the foam in the morning and at night… and after just a few weeks of use, the hair on my head started to return strong and thick. My confidence jumped, and, still today, I’m so glad I didn’t let something fixable, like hair loss, become a regret.

Now… I of course can’t promise that Rogaine^® will work for you, but if you’re balding, why wouldn’t you give it a try? It worked/works incredibly well for me… and, really, my biggest regret is not getting started sooner.

 

Regret #3: Failing To Save For Retirement Early

In a recent survey, 3 out of 4 older Americans claim that not saving for retirement is their biggest regret… and this makes sense:

Many now estimate that, to retire comfortably, you’ll need as much as $2 million (due to the estimated rate of inflation).

That amount of savings will cover the cost of housing, food, and living expenses, as well as the devaluing of the dollar over the next 10-50 years (or however many years until you want to retire).

Now:

Despite that $2 million mark being many experts’ common retirement estimate, 1/3 of working Americans have no money saved for retirement, and another 23% have less than $10,000.

…So it makes complete sense that 75% of retired (or even near-retired) Americans sincerely regret failing to save sooner. They’re now realizing that waiting to save could mean significantly less comfortable, or even delayed, retirement lifestyle for themselves.

Regret #4: Gaining An Unhealthy Amount Of Weight (And Not Doing Anything About It)

As guys, it’s completely normal to want to look like Brad Pitt in Troy… but it’s also incredibly normal to go for that third (or fourth, of fifth) round of tacos and beer(most guys I know go for the tacos-and-beer plan…)

But if that sounds like you, you might have already noticed some extra weight on your body (and now look even less like Brad Pitt).

…And rather than talk about how extra weight adversely affects your looks and your attractiveness to the opposite sex, I want to focus on the huge negative effect that extra weight can have on your health. You probably already know the risks that come with weight gain:

• Greater risk of heart disease
• Weaker joints
• Sleep apnea
• Even some mental illnesses

Now:

Is that the kind of stuff you want to deal with when you’re 50-60? I doubt it… you want to be a powerful, strong, capable man for years. Right?

Well… when you’re young, your metabolism is higher, and your bones and joints haven’t naturally weakened with age. Because of this, taking care/getting in control of a weight problem is dramatically easier when your body is younger.

Here’s the bottom line, guys:

Don’t focus on weight loss to look like Brad Pitt… do it for your long-term health(and to avoid that serious regret of it being hugely more difficult to lose it in your 50’s).

And PS: if you don’t have a weight problem now, use the action steps below to continue your good health all the way through your life!

Regret #5: Letting Your Poor Dental Hygiene Overrun Your Health

You already know that poor oral health (not brushing, flossing, and getting professional cleanings) can lead to tooth yellowing, tooth loss, cavities, bad breath, and horrible mouth pain.

…And all of those things are reason enough to care about your dental health(especially if you want women to like you… because if you have yellow, missing teeth and bad breath you’re going to be way less attractive to them)… but poor dental hygiene goes deeper than just your appearance. It can actually adversely impact your health.

Check it out:

Not taking care of your mouth (with brushing, flossing, etc.) can cause too much bacteria in your mouth and even gum disease… and those awful things can lead to:

• Diabetes. Inflammation from gum disease can affect your body’s insulin production (and faulty insulin production is the #1 cause of diabetes).
• Pneumonia. Pathogens in your mouth (tiny bacteria that grow if you don’t clean them out) can get inhaled into your lungs, causing lung sicknesses like pneumonia.
• Brain abscess. There are strong links between poor dental hygiene and life-threatening abscess (a collection of pus in the brain that can be fatal).
• Cancer. Those pathogens, and inflammation from gum disease, can actually encourage cancer cells to grow.

In other words: the health of your mouth and your body are closely connected, and allowing the gateway to your body to become a bed of bacteria can severelydamage the rest of your body.

Regret #6: Working Too Much, Or Staying At A Job You Hate

Check this out:

70% of Americans are actively disengaged from their jobs… or in other words, theyhate what they do, and would leave their job if they could.

But unfortunately, a lot of those people feel they can’t leave… so they just stay unhappy. Many feel that changing jobs is too hard/stressful, and a steady paycheck(even doing something they hate) is insanely difficult to walk away from.

But those feelings of anger, boredom, and misery at work now can turn into feelings of deep regret when those people get older.

So… if that sounds like you (angry, bored, or miserable at work), you need to understand this:

At the end of your life, the time you spent at work will amount to a quarter of your life. Do you want to look back on your life and remember that 25% of it was miserable?

Regret #7: Not Realizing The HugeImportance Of Sleep

Most Americans (3 out of 4) don’t sleep enough.

…And you know the common, detrimental side effects of not enough sleep, or low-quality sleep (frequently waking up… which could be due to stress, too much caffeine, or noises/lights):

• Irritation/quick to anger
• Grogginess/slow reactions
• Inability to concentrate
• Increased hunger/cravings

In short: your performance, athleticism, and relationships can all be damaged by poor sleep.

…But guys, those aren’t the only (or the worst) reasons you need better/more sleep. Here are the bigger problems with consistently bad sleep:

• Low sleep, or denying your body the complete rest it needs, can lead to higher risk of heart attack and stroke 
• Not enough sleep on a consistent basis can slow down memory processing, since one of the main purposes of sleep
• Bad sleep can lead to increased risk of mental instability (even serious problems like depression and schizophrenia)

See how not getting enough sleep could turn into a huge regret down the road?

In Conclusion

We both know you don’t want to have regrets when you’re older. You want to look back on your life and feel pride, instead of regret, at the good choices you made to take care of your mind and body.

…So use this guide to look out for potential regrets to avoid, and to live your life the best way you can: regret-free.

Source: www.mantelligence.com