“Do not waste time on things you cannot change or influence.”
Robert Greene
Program yourself to ask, “Is this in my circle of control?” BEFORE investing your time and energy into something. Think of this question, or the similar “What is within my circle of control?”, as a circuit breaker in life that prevents you from wasting your time in a way that can’t create momentum towards your goals or who you want to be as a person.
One of my most popular blog posts was on the “circle of concern versus the circle of control,” where I outlined framing questions to help articulate the action you can take when faced with things beyond control and influence. It’s a framework and mental model that I rely on to stay the course, find courage, and choose positivity. It’s been one of the most powerful tools I’ve seen to bring focus and clarity in life, let go, and not dwell on those things beyond my ability to change and influence.
It isn’t that you are surrendering or accepting some inevitability. You are choosing to invest your time in areas where you can make an impact. Time is all we have; why waste that precious gift?
