Regret is a bad thing most of the time. It can consume you, toy around with your thoughts and bombard you with "what if's" and "if only's". "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do," Mark Twain once said. Here are five smart risks that you should take before you die, according to the Business Insider.

1.  Hiring or promoting a person who doesn't deserve it

"When you hire a person that ticks all the boxes you usually get those things. But you rarely get more. Sometimes the risky choice turns out to be the best choice because that person brings qualities you didn't even know you needed," a CEO once told LinkedIn influencer Jeff Haden.

2. Apologizing for and acknowledging the mistakes that you've made

Instead of feeling bad for yourself and torturing your ego more, get out there and own up to your mistakes. No matter how embarrassing are the things that you've done, acknowledging them can help ease out the heaviness of it all.

3. Take even just one of your worst fears and face them

If you are a productive person, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're braver than others. The thing is, you are good at finding your strength to keep on keeping on. Don't ever try to just get over your fear. You need to accept the fact that being afraid is normal and take the risk of being scared because it will all be worth it.

4. Do one of the things that you've always wanted to do, even if some people find it ridiculous

Yes, you will never know the outcome in advance. Trying though, it's what's going to make you the champ. You may achieve less, but you can also achieve more. No one will ever figure that out unless you try.

5. Go the extra mile for someone who is a stranger to you

Ask yourself what you can do to help someone out. Even if it's just a little showing of concern or  giving a piece of advice, nice actions can mean the world to someone.