- "An overabundance of choice, the fear of making a suboptimal decision, and the potential for lingering regret following missed opportunities can leave people unhappy." from "Super Thinking: The Big Book of Mental Models" by Gabriel Weinberg, Lauren McCann (Original quote from Barry Schwartz in The Paradox of Choice.
"Woulda, shoulda, coulda." As Jim Rohn remarked, "we must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret."
Miguel Ruiz's fourth agreement reads "Always do your best." Although our best may not be our best ever or 'the best' in absolute terms, our best mitigates against regret.
Coach John Wooden took a practical approach, "Regret is valuable only when it becomes a lesson." A problem arises in that the magnitude of regret rises in big games, especially in the deciding moments. In championship games, a loss leaves no chance for redemption.
Nick Saban said, "Regret is the bill you pay later if you dodge discipline now." That approach seeks buy-in on action today - conditioning, film study, recovery.
Phil Jackson advocated caution about the words we choose, "because words become culture." It's better to lose a game than to lose a player or a team because of unthinking reactions. Jackson understood that mindfulness widens the space between stimulus and reaction.
Overarching lessons
- Everyone suffers regret.
- Giving our best reduces the chance of regret.
- Regret is a consequence of failed preparation.
- Benefit from the lessons of regret.
- Choose our words carefully.
“Those people who can celebrate others’ success live a more stress free, less anxious life” - Jeff Van Gundy
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 16, 2025
(Via @usabjnt 🎥)
pic.twitter.com/KCeqXqRoHM
Lagniappe 2. Understand that growth requires multiple inputs.
