There are many times we do this in our lives, even if its at an unconsciousness level.

For example, a friend of my was deeply conflicted over religion and going to church. It just didn't resonate with him. He didnt feel any spiritual growth from committing to his religion, but he did so because he grew up with that and his parents were deeply religious. I encouraged him to maybe leave the church and find his own path. But his response was 'but that would mean that I wasted 20+ years of my life', so he continued to go! Better to waste 20 years of your life instead of 30 years of your life!

This may seem silly to some, they may say 'oh just f**k it and move on!'. But thats easier said than done. Some people stay in terrible (or sometimes even abusive) relationships just because they have already been committed to it for so many years. Or what about sticking with a diet (for weight loss) that doesnt even work but you already spent so much time and money committing to it that you dont want to let it go.

I was encouraging a friend to try Intermittent Fasting but the protocol she was on encouraged eating small meals many times a day (even though it didnt yield much results), but she spent too much time/money on it, so she couldnt just let it go.

These are all examples clinging to 'mistakes' but cannot let it go because we were so committed to it.

Old Proverb: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."