Last week, I had the privilege of attending a seminar with a group of high-achieving, soul-searching women to hear Jodi Wellman, the author of You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets.
Jodi asked a question that stopped the room cold: “What are your pre-grets?”
You know—the regrets you feel in advance because, deep down, you know you’re putting off something meaningful.
Then she shared the top bucket list items for men and women. And the list?
It read like a roadmap to a life well lived—but also a checklist of future pre-grets if we’re not intentional.
🔹 Travel – 78.5%
🔹 Accomplish a personal goal – 78.3%
🔹 Achieve a life milestone – 51%
🔹 Achieve financial stability – 16.1%
Here’s what struck me: for most people, financial stability isn’t the dream
But here’s the kicker – it’s the one thing that makes all the other dreams possible.
✨ It’s the key to finally booking that trip.
✨ It’s what gives you the space to chase the personal goal.
✨ It’s what lets you say yes to life without dread or debt.
I’ve always said money isn’t the goal—ease is
And ease comes when you’re not constantly worried about how to make ends meet, how to afford the next milestone, or how to retire with dignity.
If financial stability has been sitting at the bottom of your to-do list, consider this your loving nudge to move it up.
Because the best bucket lists? Are the ones you actually get to live.
Here’s to building a life with fewer pre-grets and more freedom,
April
CFWO The Money Fix Institute
P.S. What’s one thing on your bucket list?
