Ask “what do I actually want here?” before every big yes. Most regrets skip that question.

Big yes answers often get given for momentum: somebody asked, it was flattering, refusing felt rude, everyone else was already in. The question of what you actually want rarely gets asked out loud because asking slows things down, and the regrets later are usually exactly the ones where it got skipped. A few seconds of honesty beforehand saves months of being somewhere you never chose.

Before the next real decision, put the question to yourself and wait for a plain answer. Write it down if the answer is awkward. You are also allowed to say you need a day.