“When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter in 5 years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go.”

Catherine Pulsifer

This is so much easier said than done.  But it is a critical question to ask in a time of turmoil or stress.  Will this matter?  Sometimes I amend the question to an even easier time period to wrap my head around, “will this matter one year from now?”  It is amazing how wrapped up we can get in whatever is going on in our lives and let things that aren’t, or won’t be important, drive our behaviors and actions today.  I am guilty of this far too often, and this simple question has been an incredible gut-check for me.  And yet, even though I know to do it, I still fail at this one regularly.  

Alternatively, in times where we aren’t stressed how often do we ask about ourselves these question; “What will matter 5 years from now?  What do I need to do about that to make it happen?”  Would baking this question into your routine allow you to find clarity to help minimize the stress that we all feel on a daily basis?

Pick the stressor(s) that are on your mind today, the ones that keep you awake at night or impact you to the point that those around you can feel your tension.  Will the cause of that stress matter on 9/28/2023?  If yes, then what are you going to do about it?  If no, then why is it occupying so much of your bandwidth?