Letting Go of Regret: A Coaching Conversation About Moving Forward
Recently, one of my coaching clients, whom I’ll call Hannah, shared an experience that many of us can deeply relate to. She had just returned from a trip with her sister. What made this trip special was that it was the first time they had traveled together, one-on-one, as adults—exploring family history, visiting places connected to their ancestors, and sharing stories from their childhood.
During our coaching session, Hannah reflected on the mixed memories that surfaced. Some were joyful, but others brought up intense, lingering regret. She found herself hyper-focusing on incidents from childhood—times when she had not treated her sister the way she wishes she had. Although decades had passed, she was still carrying the heavy emotional weight of those memories.
As we explored this block together, a critical question emerged: “What purpose is this regret serving today?”
The answer was absolutely none. The emotional loop was not helping her become a better sister today, nor was it strengthening the relationship. It was simply keeping her rigidly attached to a version of herself that no longer existed.
When it comes to personal growth and leadership development, letting go of regret is the essential gateway to moving forward.
The Paradigm Shift: Reliving the Past vs. Building the Present
People frequently enter coaching believing they need to solve a historical problem from years ago. What they actually need is strategic help seeing the active choices available to them in the present moment.
During her trip, Hannah chose to do something incredibly courageous. She explicitly acknowledged some of those old childhood hurts and apologized to her sister. The result was not judgment; the result was an immediate, deep connection.
A few days later, her sister sent a beautiful message sharing how much she enjoyed their time together. That is when Hannah realized that the true opportunity was not in trying to rewrite the past, but in actively building the relationship she wanted right now.
| The Regret-Driven Mindset (Staying Stuck) | The Growth-Driven Mindset (Moving Forward) |
|---|---|
| Focuses attention entirely on what was lost (The OY). | Focuses attention entirely on what is possible (The JOY). |
| Expects a younger self to possess today’s maturity. | Recognizes that past mistakes provided the current wisdom. |
| Treats the past as a permanent emotional residence. | Treats the past as a valuable, informative teacher. |
| Relives old stories, keeping individuals trapped. | Chooses how to intentionally show up in the present. |
Reflection
True growth happens when we treat past hurts as informative teachers rather than permanent emotional residences.
Four Lessons Learned About Letting Go of Regret
To release old emotional weights and step into your full potential, integrate these four foundational lessons into your self-leadership routine:
| Principle | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Stop Clinging to What Cannot Be Changed | Many of us hold onto old mistakes as though constantly revisiting them will somehow produce a different outcome. It won’t. The past is a teacher, not a residence. You cannot change what happened years ago; you can, however, strengthen your current relationships and strategies today. |
| 2. Stop Judging Yourself Through Today’s Lens | One of the greatest traps of chronic regret is expecting your younger self to possess the exact wisdom, emotional intelligence, and experience you have today. You know more now. You have grown. Instead of asking, “How could I have done that?” ask, “What did I learn from that?” Growth is absolute proof that you have moved beyond the mistake. |
| 3. Look for the Opportunity That Exists Right Now | Regret forces your cognitive focus backward onto unchangeable events. Growth forces your attention forward onto active possibilities. The core question is never what happened then; the question is: What opportunity is available to me right now? |
| 4. Make the Choice to Be Present | We cannot alter yesterday, and we cannot live in tomorrow. We can only control how we choose to show up today. Hannah chose to be fully present during her trip—choosing to listen, laugh, learn, and connect rather than remaining trapped in old internal stories. That single choice completely transformed her experience. |
The work is not to erase your past. The work is to stop letting your past dictate your present.
Summary: Releasing What No Longer Serves You
Is there a specific conversation, an old career mistake, or a past decision that you continue to judge yourself for? If the underlying lesson has already been extracted and learned, then the regret has completed its function and is now serving as dead weight.
Releasing it allows you to stop letting historical narratives dictate your current reality. Your future will never be built by reliving the past—it will be built exclusively by the intentional choices you make today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we struggle so much with letting go of regret?
How does judging past actions through today's wisdom create a psychological trap?
What is the role of coaching in overcoming past mistakes?
Want to explore how your team or organization can build a culture of joy through mental fitness and resilient leadership? Let’s connect.
Dorice Horenstein helps organizations bring out the best in their people by creating a path to human flourishing under pressure. An international keynote speaker, Mental Fitness and Positive Intelligence® expert, and author of Choose to Be Your Own Champion and the best-selling Moments of the Heart, Dorice brings more than 30 years of leadership and education experience to her work with leaders and teams.
She equips people with the Champion Mindset and practical tools to think clearly, choose intentionally, and act confidently when it matters most.
With infectious energy, humor, and practical wisdom, Dorice transforms stress into clarity, disconnection into meaningful connection, and everyday challenges into opportunities for growth. Her unique approach connects brain and heart—combining neuroscience and mental fitness with decades of leadership experience and universal wisdom.
Dorice inspires people to rise to their Champion Level, strengthen relationships, and create workplaces where people and performance flourish together.
