Some fans of Game of Thrones might dream about living in Westeros. But the truth is, it's highly dangerous to be a part of one of the noble houses. And throughout the series, the Stark family found this out the hard way. Somewhat isolated in the North, the Starks have done their best to stay out of trouble associated with the royal court at King's Landing.
However, this didn't work out so well for them. The Stark family struggled during the show and experienced multiple losses as well as traumatic experiences. If they were more careful and done multiple things differently, they might have ended up much better off, and may not have had to fight so hard to stay alive and reclaim their home.
Staying Together
A good family protects one another. But the Starks went their separate ways as early as in the first episode. As a result, they weren't there to take care of their family and ensure they would survive.
For example, if Bran didn't send Rickon away to the Umbers, Ramsay Bolton might have never gotten his hands on Rickon, and Rickon could have survived.
Holding Winterfell For Themselves
Speaking of Bran, his other mistake was that he didn't hold Winterfell for himself and his family. Instead, Bran trusted someone he shouldn't have. Bran put Winterfell into Theon Greyjoy's hands.
If he was more observant, he would have noticed that Theon held a grudge against the Starks, and was waiting for an opportunity like this. When a family has their own base in Westeros, they should never give it up - as it comes with power.
Making Better Friends
In the world of Game of Thrones, it's difficult to know who to trust. And the Stark family didn't excel at choosing their allies, at least not always. Bran trusted Theon when he shouldn't have, but on the other hand, Arya didn't trust Brienne when she met her.
Brienne was a strong fighter and an honorable person. She wanted to protect Arya since she gave a promise to Catelyn. However, Arya refused Brienne's help and robbed herself of a powerful friend. Sansa made the same mistake, because of Littlefinger's dangerous influence on her.
Trying To Sneakily Murder Their Enemies
It's doubtful whether this would change anything - but it could shift the balance of power and give the Stark family the advantage they needed. When Arya served Tywin Lannister under an assumed name, she spent a lot of time with him.
She could have tried and found a way how to kill Tywin. It might lead to her death but if she succeeded, Tywin wouldn't be able to orchestrate the Red Wedding.
Keeping Their Mouth Shut
This one goes to Sansa. Soon after she learns the secret about Jon's true heritage, she has the brilliant idea to tell it to Tyrion. It's true that Tyrion was kind to Sansa while they were forcefully married and tried to protect her.
Despite that, Sansa should have known better than to share valuable information. It drove a wedge between Daenerys and Jon and endangered the Stark family.
Not Antagonizing Their Allies
It's understandable why Sansa would be wary of Daenerys. Not only did she see the affection between Jon and Daenerys, but Daenerys also wanted ownership and control over the North. And Sansa has had a lot of bad experiences in the past when her so-called allies betrayed her.
However, Sansa constantly antagonizing Daenerys had absolutely zero purposes, and only made the alliance between the two houses more fragile - at a time when the Starks needed a powerful ally.
Not Siding With The Lannisters
To be fair to Sansa, a lot of the mistakes she did that endangered her family happened because of her youth and inexperience. Sansa trusted Joffrey and Cersei and paid dearly for it.
Sansa went to the King's Landing and obeyed the Lannisters, unaware that Cersei was expertly manipulating her. And by the time Sansa realized she was trapped, it was already too late - her father was dead, and she was in mortal danger.
Not Going To King's Landing
Ned Stark was an honorable man, but he could be naive. The downfall of his family started the moment he decided to go to King's Landing and become the Hand of the King. It's true that King Robert ordered Ned to go. But the two men were good friends and if Ned tried hard enough, he might have found a way to persuade Robert to let him stay at Winterfell.
Instead, he went and made the mistake of trusting Littlefinger as well as revealing his cards to Cersei. If he didn't warn Cersei about the fact he knew her children weren't Robert's, he might have survived.
Hiding The Circumstances Of Daenerys's Death
It might sound like harsh thinking - but Jon shouldn't have trusted Daenerys for so long. He realized she was dangerous, yet he kept on holding to her because he'd promised to do so.
And once he killed her, Jon should have tried to keep the circumstances of her death a secret. It wouldn't even be so hard since there was no one else present when Jon killed Daenerys. Instead, Jon foolishly confessed and the Stark family was once again torn apart.
Not Breaking Their Promise
Finally, the greatest way how the Starks could have won was for Robb Stark to keep his promise. Robb originally made a promise to marry Walder Frey's daughter. He changed his mind and married Talisa instead.
Robb didn't realize Walder Frey wasn't the type of man to forget what must have been an insult to his family. As a result, the Red Wedding happened, and the Stark family was nearly destroyed.