Still sweating the small stuff
Ask Laurel…
I hear all the time “don’t sweat the small stuff.” How can I begin to do that?
We all get distracted by little annoyances, wanting to get it right or our particular pet peeves. When we let them become the focus of our days, we tend to feel irritated and overwhelmed. The key to not sweating the small stuff is being clear about the big stuff. What matters most to you? In the big scheme of things, are mismatched socks, Cheerios for dinner or how the dishwasher is loaded really all that important?
When you are feeling overwhelmed or annoyed, one simple technique to try is to stop and ask yourself, “Will this really matter one year from today?” If the answer is no, then take a deep breath and let it go. If the answer is yes, then take a deep breath and re-focus with that in mind.
Another way to sweat less of the small stuff is to have less of it on your plate. Get back to basics. Are you someone who tends to say yes to too many commitments? Do you have difficulty saying no because you feel guilty or selfish? Learning some simple tricks to setting boundaries can go a long way in having less small stuff to deal with.
Here’s the most important reason to let the little things go.
Richard Carlson, the author of the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” series of books, died unexpectedly at the age of 45. You can be sure he was very glad that his short life was not cluttered up by small stuff.
That is really ironic about the author. As if the universe wanted to punctuate his message with a crisp “period” at the end. I’ve been thinking a lot about coincidences or intersections of fate or whatever. Great advice btw.
Comment by Neela — March 30, 2008 @ 9:27 pm