Daniel Pink asserts that what stands out most about regrets is their ubiquity and common underlying structure. Our regrets tend to fall into four main categories:

1. Foundational regrets stem from our failure to attend to some aspect of our lives because we choose short term gain over long term benefits. Foundational regrets include statements such as, “If only I wore more sunscreen.”
2. Boldness regrets come from not stepping up, speaking out, or showing up in our lives. With boldness regrets we may say, “I wish I was more true to myself.”
3. Connection regrets occur when we don’t step through what psychologist and professor John Gottman calls the “sliding door moments” of relationships. They include the relationships that have drifted over time, or ended in rifts.
4. Moral regrets are a product of acting in ways that go against our beliefs and values. The most common are cheating, harming someone, being unloyal, or dishonoring authority.