When I was a kid and really upset about something, my mother always used to say to me, “what difference will it make in a year.”  I hated that question.  I thought she wasn’t paying any attention to my problems.  As I’ve gotten older I realized that this was a really excellent rule of thumb.  The big things in life will still be important in a year, while the little things; like a ruined dinner, being late to a meeting or choosing a vacation destination aren’t really worth the negative impact of stress and anxiety.

So when something is really stressing you out, stop and ask yourself the question:

“What difference will it make a year from now?”

If one year feels too long for a ‘will-it-matter’ yardstick, then choose the interval that works for you; 1 week, 1 month, 3 months or 6 months.  Carefully consider whether the issue is important enough to demand some of your limited and precious time & energy.   If the answer is yes, by all means give the issue everything it requires.   However, if the answer is no, stop stressing un-necessarily.  

If today’s choices have no impact a year from now, just roll with the flow and let it go.