Why you should live with no regrets

As we kick off a new term, Laura Williams draws inspiration from George Russell’s perspective on regrets and explains why we should embrace the notion that life offers lessons, not regrets

This time last year, I was lucky enough to spend a weekend at the Silverstone racing track and attend a special event with George Russell, current Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 driver…

As part of the event, he answered a bunch of questions submitted by the audience – one of which was… ‘What are your biggest regrets in your career?’

He thought for a moment before replying and said that there was a lot of things that he wishes he’d handled or done better – and in some cases wish he hadn’t done at all. He said there were things he’d found tough, things he’d struggled to get over and things he looked back on and wasn’t proud of.  But despite all of that, he said he didn’t believe in regrets and that he wouldn’t change a single thing.

Why?

He said that he knew he needed to go through those things to learn the lessons they taught him because, fundamentally, they shaped him – not only as a driver but as a person. Because all those things brought him to precisely where he is now. A 26-year-old F1 driver – one of only 20 people in the entire world to do that job!

And this has got what to do with you?

“There are no regrets in life – just lessons.” – Jennifer Aniston

You can’t change what’s already happened and you can’t control everything that’s happening around you (it kills us, I know – but it’s true!). Life is too short to keep looking back. And at the start of this new term, I want to remind you that the key word here is new.

New beginning, fresh start, clean slate. Leave the noise, the frustration and the guilt from last term behind and look at the term ahead with optimism.

Forget that thing you said that you wish you didn’t. Everyone else has forgotten it…

Forget the thing you wish you said but didn’t have the courage to! Nobody else knows nor will they ever know. And there’s still time to say it if you need to.

Forget that thing that person said to you that really upset you or wound you up. Because I bet you they have…

Forget the jobs you didn’t get to by the end of last term. You will get to them…

Leave the chaos and carnage behind and look ahead with clarity and confidence. You are a School Business Leader. You know how to do this job. In fact, you know it inside out! You deserve this job. Now go – own it, do it and smash it.