This is not a spoiler alert but if you are really concerned about learning anything about the show, then maybe skip to the end.
In 24, one of the characters knows that he (or she!) will die. He tells a younger co-worker that he wanted to be a teacher when he was younger but chose to work with the Department of Defense for an extra $5,000. The job has made him miserable and everyone around him miserable. He pleads with his co-worker to quit and find work that will make her happy.
Will you have the same regrets if death was approaching? Harsh thought, I realize. But sometimes dramatic situations create clarity.