20,589 people. 20,589 somedays.
A global study of the dreams people postpone, the reasons for postponing, the regrets they carry, and what finally moves them to act. Conducted for the book Experiential Billionaire: Build a Life Rich in Experiences and Die With No Regrets by Bridget Hilton and Joe Huff.
The survey

What we asked.

01
What is your someday?
How long have you had this dream? What's stopping you from doing it? Would you regret it at the end of your life if you didn't do it? Do you have a plan for it?
02
What were the three most valuable things in your life so far?
Why did those stick out to you?
03
What are your biggest regrets in life?
Could you change them now?
04
What were your favorite activities as a child?
Do you still do them? If not, why?
05
What skills do you still want to learn?
Do you have a plan to learn them? Why haven't you done it yet?
06
What is your greatest fear?
Why are you scared of it? Is it keeping you from your dreams?

What's your someday?

What are you postponing? Type it to see similar answers. Answers not recorded.

Your someday
20,589 answers

The results.

Responses shown on this site have been anonymized and lightly edited only for spelling, translation, profanity, and removal of identifying details. The meaning of each response has been preserved.

What the study found

You're not alone.

<1%say they'd have no regrets if they died today.
81%of somedays have been carried "as long as I can remember." Only one in five are recent.
84%of people over 65 are still carrying one — even after a full life.
80%have no plan for the number one thing they say they want to do or learn.
The number one reason people didn't do what they most wanted to do:
They just didn't get around to it.
They always thought they would have more time — someday.
They were stuck in the gap between dreaming and doing.
What people said

Where somedays live.

01Relationships5,723 answersSpend more time with my children · Reconnect with an old friend · Tell someone I love them · Organize a family reunion27.8%
02Adventure4,052 answersTravel to all 50 states · See the Northern Lights · Go skydiving · Take a solo trip abroad19.7%
03Creativity3,239 answersWrite a book · Record an album · Make a short film · Paint a portrait of someone I love15.7%
04Work2,641 answersAsk for a promotion · Start my own business · Become a CEO · Find work that feels meaningful12.8%
05Learning2,536 answersFinish my degree · Learn another language · Take cooking classes · Learn to play an instrument12.3%
06Health2,398 answersRun a marathon · Get sober · Prioritize my mental health · Feel strong and healthy again11.6%
What people regret

The things they didn't do.

01Travel and explorationNot visiting other countries or experiencing different cultures · not visiting an ancestral homeland · not studying abroad29.2%
02Family, children and loved onesNot having children · not spending more time with kids · not spending enough time with parents · not telling loved ones how much they care19.3%
03Love, marriage and partnershipNot getting married · staying married to the wrong person · not reconnecting with past loves9.4%
04Adventure and bucket-list experiencesNot attending sport or music events · never skydiving · never bungee jumping · never racing cars · never flying a plane9.3%
05Education and learningNot finishing law school · not becoming a nurse · not going to art school · not learning computer programming7.6%
06Career, business and creative ambitionNot starting my own company · not pursuing my music career · not writing a book5.4%
07Money, home and financial securityNot saving enough for retirement · not owning my own home · not leaving my children financially secure4.8%
08Personal growth, courage and fulfilmentNot being brave enough to pursue what I truly wanted · not living as my true self · letting fear control my life4.3%
09Health, recovery and wellbeingNot getting clean · not living a sober life · not taking better care of my health1.4%
10Faith, service and contributionNot getting closer to God · not volunteering more · not creating a foundation to help people in need1.3%
What people want to learn

What people still want to learn in their lifetime.

01MusicGuitar · piano · cello · singing · drums33%
02LanguageSpanish · French · Italian · Japanese · sign language25%
03SportsSurfing · tennis · golf · rock climbing · martial arts10%
04CookingFamily recipes · baking bread · regional dishes · butchery · pasta from scratch10%
05GardeningGrowing vegetables · keeping houseplants alive · beekeeping · orchard planting5%
06OtherWoodworking · flying a plane · survival skills · how to train a dog · becoming a doula17%

From research to action.

Bridget Hilton on stage in front of the word SOMEDAY
Help your people move from someday to started.

The research revealed that most people already know what matters. The problem is turning intention into action.

Through her keynote and interactive workshop, Bridget helps people identify what they have been postponing, take a meaningful first step, and create the support and accountability to keep moving.

Explore the keynote Bring Bridget to your event
The story behind the study

In 2023, my co-author Joe Huff and I surveyed 20,589 people around the world while researching our book, Experiential Billionaire.

We asked what they still wanted to do, what was stopping them, and what they might regret if they never began.

We expected 20,589 different answers. Instead, we found a shared pattern: most people already know what matters to them. The problem is the space between wanting it and acting on it.

I call it the gap between dreaming and doing. The longer we remain in that gap, the more likely "someday" becomes never.

This research became the foundation of Make Someday Today — my keynote and workshop designed to help people and organizations stop postponing what matters and take meaningful action now — at work and in life.

Bridget Hilton
Author, founder and keynote speaker
The method

How to make someday today.

01
Know what matters
Get clear on what you truly want — not what convention, comparison or other people have taught you to want.
02
Start small
Turn the larger dream into one concrete action you can take with the time, information and resources you have now.
03
Don't keep it a secret
Sharing your goal makes it real, and lets other people offer support, ideas, connections and accountability.
04
Move through the fear
Fear does not have to disappear before you act. Courage is taking the next step while fear comes along for the ride.
05
Create the ripple
One meaningful action can create opportunities, relationships and impact far beyond what you can predict or control.
Having an idea or goal
10%
Consciously deciding you will do it
25%
Putting it on your calendar
40%
Planning how to do it
50%
Committing to someone that you will do it
65%
A specific accountability appointment with that person
95%
The action and accountability statistics above are drawn from third-party research. Full citations and source references are available in Experiential Billionaire.
TEDx · The keys to living a rich life

Learn more about the survey.

About the research

In 2023, Bridget Hilton and Joe Huff surveyed 20,589 people about their goals, fears, regrets and most meaningful life experiences as part of the research for Experiential Billionaire.

Responses were collected voluntarily through Qualtrics via ExperientialBillionaire.com. Participants provided their age, income range, city, state or region, and country. No full names or contact information were collected or recorded for marketing purposes. Responses shown on this site have been anonymized and lightly edited only for spelling and profanity. The meaning of each response has been preserved.