Since I started writing about regrets, I seem to have gone down a rabbit hole of reflection and honesty.
Having stepped away from the media spotlight for many years, I can safely say that I’m opening up and sharing what I’ve learned.
I think there’s value in being vulnerable and showing others a more personal side to Rich Franklin.
My aim is to make Richfranklin.com into a brand that not only inspires but gives people the support and tools to become healthier, and more productive and achieve their goals.
But first, let me share some stuff I’m working on.
It’s called a regret minimization exercise.
Basically, what I want to do is pretend that I’m 90.
And I want to think about the biggest regrets I may have.
Sounds simple right?
There have been a handful of studies. And they all suggest the same thing – we regret more of the things we didn’t do than the things we did.
It’s easy to put things off because there’s always tomorrow.
Time feels a lot different when you’re 90 than 30.
Everyone is due for a regret minimization exercise at least twice a year.
The point of this exercise isn’t simply to rue our missed opportunities in life.
Obviously, the goal here is to understand the regrets and develop a bias for action today.
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re probably nowhere near 90 hopefully.
So there’s still time to take action.
Here’s me taking stock of what I believe could potentially be my three biggest regrets in life.
Health
Despite how I look, health isn’t something that I take for granted.
While I don’t want to regret not having lived a strong and healthy life, I don’t want it to consume me either.
It took me no small amount of effort to arrive at the physical conditioning and shape that I’m in currently.
The long shadow of being the runt in a family of big men and the fifth grader who could never keep up with the bigger, taller and stronger kids still looms over me today.
So maybe in some way, building my physique was my way of answering those doubts in my head.
But sometimes and I say that lightly, it feels like a trap.
As you can imagine, I lead a very regimented and restricted social life.
My food choices don’t exactly make me the best party companion.
Also, I can be harshly critical of myself in the mirror. Almost to a fault.
Body dysmorphia doesn’t care whether you’re fat or fit.
Rather than goad myself into thinking I need to look better to feel a certain way, I’m working on improving my relationship with my body.
As I inch into my fifties and beyond, I’m starting to loosen my grip and look at exercise as a way of being healthy than simply to maintain a muscular physique.
Family
Getting caught up in our own busy lives can lead us further away from family.
I know this all too well, having missed birthdays, gatherings and special family occasions just because I was preparing for a fight.
I’ve ashamed to admit I’ve lost relationships and others have had to sacrifice tremendously for my success.
The American Time Use Survey and Our World in Data have a very illuminating graph that shows who we spend our time with.
Take a look at this one about family.
This graph speaks for itself.
The time we have with family is very limited. We may only see our loved ones a few more times over the years.
I’m choosing to be more present and more attentive at each encounter.
These moments matter to me.
Wealth
The genesis of the Quite Franklin podcast and my website RichFranklin.com was born from a desire to share what I love – talking and learning – with others.
While passion is an important factor in sustaining an activity or habit, it takes a lot more to operate and build a business.
Building a brand, one as personal as Quite Franklin – which bears my name and likeness – is no easy feat.
While I’m not doing this to build generational wealth, I do have hopes to turn it into a profitable enterprise to help others.
My job as a full-time commentator and ONE Championship Vice President comes with many responsibilities and frequent travel.
It has sapped my time and ability to commit fully to growing this endeavor.
However, I don’t want to regret not giving this the attention it rightfully deserves.
With your help and participation, I sincerely believe I can help followers, fans or visitors to better their lives.
There’s no better call to action than right here, right now.
To start, please comment on my social media, what are the 3 biggest regrets you fear.
And let’s work together to address how you can minimize them!