The Regret Minimization Framework: How to make life decisions

A boat is safe in the harbor. But that is not what boats are built for.

We tend to view our lives as a single, continuous narrative. But in reality, we are a series of temporary selves, each with a distinct beginning and end. The teenager who dreams of adventure is not the same as the retiree who seeks comfort. When we defer our dreams, we aren't saving them for later; we are denying them to the person we are right now.

This episode explores the "Regret Minimization Framework"—a tool for navigating the uncertainty of the future. We discuss the difference between "peak experiences" and "plateau experiences" and why wisdom lies in knowing the difference. The question isn't how much money you leave behind, but how much life you leave unlived.

Actionable Takeaways:

Time Bucketing: Allocate specific experiences to the specific decades of your life where they belong.

The Cost of Inaction: Recognize that the safe choice often carries the highest hidden cost—regret.

Live with Urgency: Embrace the impermanence of your current self to fuel meaningful action today.

Decide today which version of yourself deserves to be fully realized before it's too late.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction: Facing Mortality

01:10 The Concept of Dying in Installments

02:03 The Death of Future Selves

03:16 Jeff Bezos and the Regret Minimization Framework

04:58 The Death of Peak Experiences

06:26 The Value of Plateau Experiences

10:12 The Death of Who You Could Have Been

13:19 Life Satisfaction U-Curve

13:58 Living Intentionally and Strategically

15:22 Time Bucketing and Peak Experience Mapping

17:06 Personal Examples and Reflections

18:32 Stoic Wisdom and Living with Urgency

20:25 Final Thoughts on Regret Minimization

21:32 Conclusion and Call to Action Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices