BehavioralDPDaniel Pink 2-min read 5-min action

The Regret-on-Three Test

Ask whether you'll regret avoiding this conversation in three days, three months, three years.

The concept

Anticipated regret as decision filter

Pink's research on regret shows that the deepest regrets come from inaction — connection, courage, and conversation not had. Using anticipated regret as a forward filter shifts behavior in the moment.

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Sourced from

The Power of Regret

By Daniel PinkView source

Get reminded to actually run this

Pivots only work when you use them. Send me a gentle nudge:

Pivot pairs

Curated cross-disciplinary pairings that strengthen this one.

The Courage Pair

Pair with: The Relational Frame

Pink's regret test tells you whether the conversation matters. Perel's relational frame tells you how to open it once you commit.

How people ran this

Used this before a portfolio review. Sat with the dread for 8 minutes, then opened Figma and just shipped the worst version. Got the best feedback of my year.

Maya, product designer

Ran it during a planning week when I kept rewriting the same doc. Three rough versions in 15 minutes — my staff eng picked the one I least liked.

Jordan, eng manager

I'm a chronic deleter. The 'name the feeling' step was the unlock. It was almost always shame, not perfectionism.

Anon

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