The Mel Robbins PodcastWhat Makes a Good Life? This Study on 26,000 Regrets Will Guide You for the Rest of Your Life
Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- May 25, 2026
- Duration
- 1h 9m
- Channel
- The Mel Robbins Podcast
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
When was the last time you thought about something you wish you'd done differently? A relationship you let drift apart. A mistake you wish you could take back. A conversation you keep putting off. A decision that you now realize was the wrong one. You’re not alone. Regret is actually one of the most common emotions people experience – and it’s the most misunderstood. That’s why Mel invited Daniel Pink, one of the most influential thinkers and authors of our time, to share the findings of his World Regret Survey, the largest study of human regret ever conducted, analyzing more than 26,000 regrets from people across 134 countries. After analyzing regrets from all around the world, his research has found that there are 4 core types of regrets, and based on what kind of regret you're dealing with, there are specific strategies that you can use to process it, learn from it, and move forward. You’re also going to be inspired to take action after hearing what other people regret the most, so you can live in a way that will avoid these regrets for yourself. In this episode, you’ll learn: -The 4 types of regret and how to recognize yours -The one type of regret that shows up more than any other -Why the things you didn't do will haunt you far more than the things you did, and what that tells you to go do today -Daniel's 3-step reset to stop repeating the same patterns and start moving forward -One simple move you can make today to stop repeating the same regret pattern This is not a conversation about the past. It's a conversation about what you do next. Because after studying 26,000 regrets, the answer is clear: You can't change what happened. You can change what happens next. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-398/ Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 0:00 Introduction 03:37 How to Deal With Regret (Without Getting Stuck in It) 11:04 What Regret Is (And Why Your Brain Won’t Let It Go) 13:13 Global Regret Study Results: What People Regret Most 20:44 Why Regret Feels So Lonely 24:32 The 4 Types of Regret 24:58 Connection Regrets: The #1 Regret People Carry 34:11 Don’t Wait to Reach Out: Fixing Relationships Before It’s Too Late 35:28 Foundation Regrets: “I Should’ve Done the Work” 38:25 Boldness Regrets: “I Should’ve Taken the Chance” 47:33 Action vs Inaction Regrets (Why “What If” Hurts More) 51:26 Moral Regrets: Guilt, Shame & “I Didn’t Do the Right Thing” 53:52 3-Step Method to Process Regret — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah
SPEAKERS
Mel Robbins
hostHost of The Mel Robbins Podcast and motivational speaker/author focused on behavior change and personal development.
Daniel Pink
guestAuthor and speaker who led the World Regret Survey research on regrets and decision-making.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, featuring Mel Robbins and Daniel Pink, What Makes a Good Life? This Study on 26,000 Regrets Will Guide You for the Rest of Your Life explores turn regret into guidance using four universal life lessons today Daniel Pink’s World Regret Survey (26,000 regrets across 134 countries) finds regrets are universal and cluster into four consistent categories that reveal what people value most.
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