7 Things You Won't Regret

At the age of 36, there are already too many things I regret in life. To me, that's unfortunate because had I done a few simple things differently, my list of regrets would be exponentially shortened. And likewise, there are habits I unconsciously formed in my life that, at this age, I am so thankful I did. Although it's never too late to make a change, these are a few things I wish I would have done sooner, and a few I'm glad I did:

1. Wear sunscreen. With my medium complexion, it doesn't take much to get a golden glow, and it takes quite a bit to burn. That was always my excuse for never lathering up. However, I am beginning to pay the price. Regardless of skin tone, wear sunscreen early and often. Your "older you" will thank you. Trust me.

2. Take pictures. I have an entire decade of my life where I can count the number of photos I took on two hands. That's pitiful. Just take photos. I've never heard anyone go through their photos and think, "I wish I didn't take so many pictures of my friends and family."

3. Go to your friends' weddings. If they invited you, then it's important to them that you show up. So show up. I get that you may be one of 300 invites, but so what? Your presence communicates that you value their friendship. That's the only thing that matters. They may not notice that you're there, however they will notice when you're not.

4. Save early. I don't care if your monthly income is $300 or $3000. Start saving now. Don't wait until later, because later may never come. Don't wait until you start making more money, because you might not. There is no way to make up for compound interest. Start saving your money now!

5. Create a friend family. We all need friends that we can call at 3am in the morning with an emergency, after a long day, or to celebrate a promotion at work. We need friends to do life with, people whom we can talk to without editing our words, friends that won't judge us when we're having a bad day. Be intentional about surrounding yourself with close friends. You don't need a lot, but you do need some.

6. Call your grandparents. I know that we live in a social media era, but as technologically savvy as your grandparents might be, they don't. Sure they may know how to text, but they'd much rather hear your voice. As busy as you may be, your grandparents are not. They are bored and no one calls anymore. So why don't you be the one to change that? Something as simple as a phone call goes a long way.

7. Try something that challenges you. Don't live your life taking the easy way all the time. Don't stay in the comfortable. Try something hard and challenging. Maybe you've never run before, so now might be the time to sign up for a 5K. When you never do anything challenging, you live in the comfortable and you don't know what you're capable of doing. If you don't try, you'll never know.