No Regrets!
My mentor and hero, Jim Priest, gave some hints for living a life that will satisfy your future self. Here they are (summarized by me):
1) Make family a priority. Don't make compromises that undermine your family commitments. Say "yes" to family by saying "no" to workaholism, extramarital affairs and self-absorption.
2) Don't make important decisions based on mere emotions. Emotions are an important gift from God, but we cannot rely on them. We may not "feel" like staying in a marriage. We may not "feel" like being a responsible parent. Emotions like these focus on the superficial short term rather than the more important long term. Making emotion-based decisions leads to a higher likelihood of regrets in midlife.
3) Have fun wherever you go! Not everything we do is enjoyable, but there isusually a little fun lurking inside every gathering, every project, every assignment. If you make it your goal to infect people with smiles and laughter, you'll increase your odds of being content when you look in the rearview mirror.