10 things people over 45 would do differently if given the chance

Laura Hampson
·3-min read
A survey of over-45s has revealed what they would do differently if given their time again. (Getty Images)
A survey of over-45s has revealed what they would do differently if given their time again. (Getty Images)

If you could go back and relive parts of your life, what would you do differently?

This was a question that was posed to a group of people aged over 45, who revealed the 10 things they would change if they were given the chance.

Four in five of the respondents said they wish they’d had more confidence in themselves when they were younger, which is why the top thing they would tell their younger selves is to have more self belief.

This was followed by advising their younger selves to save more money each month, and to trust themselves more.

The research was conducted by Galaxy in partnership with the Young Women’s Trust to support the charity’s mission to coach more women and help them thrive.

Over one in three of the people surveyed (36%) say they wish they’d had more self confidence, while 28% said they wish they’d travelled more, and 27% would have improved their financial planning.

Putting a coin in a white piggy bank at home.
Survey respondents wish they'd saved more money when they were younger. (Getty Images)

Others regret not keeping in touch with good friends, while some would have removed themselves from unhealthy relationships, and many of the 2,000 respondents wish they’d paid more attention to their education.

  1. Believe in yourself…you can do it – 47%

  2. Try and save money each month – 40%

  3. Trust yourself more – 35%

  4. Don’t compare yourself to others – 33%

  5. Don’t let someone talk you into doing something you don’t want to do – 33%

  6. Don’t regret, learn the lessons and move forward – 29%

  7. Cut out certain people from your life – 26%

  8. Leave a job that doesn’t make you happy – 26%

  9. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness – 24%

  10. The grass isn’t always greener – 22%

Further findings showed that one in five (18%) of women wish they’d had more confidence to apply for a role they didn’t believe they were qualified for, while 23% believe they stayed in a job too long.

"It’s no surprise that confidence crops up as an issue for women throughout this research," Claire Reindorp, CEO at Young Women’s Trust said.

"Right from the start of our working lives we aren’t given equal chances in the workplace, and we’re not paid fairly – young women earn a fifth less than young men each year. We need to undo archaic attitudes that lead to widespread sexism, inflexible work and lack of support for progression."

One 2019 study from YouGov found that one in three (34%) of Brits do not feel confident about their personality, and that this number is higher among women (37%), than men (31%).

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