For the past six months, I've been meaning to write this post — but somehow, I never made it happen. No specific reason. Maybe laziness ��. Maybe I just didn't feel as clear-headed as I do this morning ☀️.
But here I am now, writing about some mistakes I've made in life — mistakes that still live inside me, shape me, and continue to teach me. Lately, I've felt this heaviness building up, a kind of quiet suffocation. Where do I even speak about this? Who would have the time — or the space — to truly listen? So I thought, why not speak to myself? Why not put it into words, right here?
Maybe it'll help me heal. Maybe it'll help someone out there feel a little less alone, or avoid some of the same regrets. Either way, here it goes.
Good thing is, Hope this blog doesn't have any grammatical mistakes, so no need to panic while reading it 😉. I used Grammarly to make it more readable.
Okay! The mistakes I made in my life:
- ❌ Never listened to my heart
- 😣 Bad habits
- 🙈 Neglected personal branding & networking
- 🎢 Unclear or safe career choices
1. Not Listening to My Heart and Mind ❤️🧠
When it came to important decisions, I often let others' opinions guide me more than my own instinct.
Even when a part of me whispered "this doesn't feel right", I'd ignore it — only to find out later that my heart wasn't wrong.
Listening to yourself is underrated. Trusting yourself? Even more so.
And I paid the price for ignoring that inner voice.
2. Bad Habits 😩🍕🛏️
This one... this one really hurts to write about.
Inconsistent sleep. Junk food. Constant fatigue. The laziness, the "I'll do it tomorrow" mindset — it ruined more days than I can count. I gained weight 🧍♂️, lost discipline, and always felt tired — even after a full night's sleep. Somehow, I always felt busy but never productive. My energy was low, focus was gone, and my mind was in a fog most days.
I rarely smoke — just a cigarette here and there with friends when we hang out, and that's only once or twice a month. I don't drink either. But my real issues were procrastination and my unhealthy routines... Even without smoking or drinking, I ended up with serious health problems — high blood pressure and migraine.
I'm not saying that doing the same things will automatically lead to the same diseases. But bad habits always lead to bad outcomes in one way or another.
Those habits? Probably more harmful than any bad substance ever could be. And deep down, I knew better. As a Muslim, I know we're taught to eat less, wake early, sleep with purpose, live intentionally... But I let comfort win. I let the day slip away, thinking I'd "start tomorrow." Guess what? Tomorrow never came.
3. Personal Branding & Networking 🧑💻🌐
I knew it. I knew how important it was to build my presence, to show my work, to connect with people.
But I stayed hidden. I hesitated.
No consistent content, no networking, no story-sharing.
Being good at your work is great — but if nobody knows about it, it's like it never existed.
And I kept waiting for the "perfect moment" to start.
Spoiler: it never comes.
4. Career Choices 🎯💼
Some choices I made in my career were out of fear, not purpose.
I took safe paths. I ignored risks.
Sometimes I chose money. Sometimes I chose comfort.
But I didn't always choose me.
Looking back, I see it clearly — the things that seemed "stable" actually held me back.
And the things that scared me?
They were probably the right direction.
The stress from these choices? It's been overwhelming. The pressure to perform, the constant second-guessing, the weight of expectations — it all takes a toll. Some days, it feels like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. The sleepless nights, the constant fatigue, the nagging feeling that I'm not doing enough... it's exhausting.
But here's what I'm learning: stress isn't just about the job itself. It's about the choices we make and how we handle them. When we choose paths that don't align with our true selves, the stress becomes even heavier. It's like trying to fit into shoes that are too small — it might work for a while, but eventually, it starts to hurt.
I'm trying to be kinder to myself these days. Taking small breaks, practicing mindfulness, and reminding myself that it's okay to not have everything figured out. The stress might not disappear overnight, but I'm learning to carry it differently — not as a burden, but as a reminder to make choices that truly align with who I am.
What's this bullshit I'm talking about? 🤷♂️
I'm not writing this to complain.
Life is messy. We all screw up. But these mistakes? They made me pause. Reflect.
They taught me more than any book ever could.
If even one person reads this and avoids just one of these regrets — this post was worth it.
And maybe, just maybe, this is me turning the page.
A fresh start. A better version. A little more honest. A little more intentional.
Thanks for being here.
If you relate, I see you. And if you're already on the right track — keep going. I'm rooting for you. ❤️