From the Book: Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Part 16. Ask Yourself the Question, "Will This Matter a Year from Now?"
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Will This Matter A Year From Now?
If today’s disappointments won’t matter a year from now, then why do we allow ourselves to become so bothered and annoyed over the smallest things in the moment? It makes sense to feel this way, after all we’re only human, but we can do better.
Of course it’s easier said than done when it comes to thinking about next year’s state of mind in the midst of a challenging situation. However it will be impossible to use this stress reducing technique successfully if we don’t start practicing the exercise now.
Picture it, a student in their first year of culinary school studying to become a Master Chef. How many racks of lamb will be ruined before they perfect the dish? I don’t think that there’s a magic number, but I know that our Master Chef-to-be will never make it if they focus solely on today’s disappointment.
How do you help others deal with today’s disappointments? As leaders, we’re always the “go to” people because other folks enjoy talking to us and we can make them feel better. If you’re reading this, you are a leader and you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The real question is whether or not you give yourself the same pep talk when you’re feeling the angst of disappointment. There will be times that there is no one available to talk to or no one that understands exactly what we’re going through. It’s at these times that we have to start talking to ourselves “positively.” At the end of the day, having the right self-talk is the only thing that ever changes things on the outside.
You can give a person the pep talk of their life, but until they’re ready to make a decision to move on, there’s nothing that you can say to help them. This goes for all of us, and this is why it’s important to have certain exercises ready like the one shared in Part 16: “Will this matter a year from now?”
~Matthew
Food for Thought
