Strategy for Taking a Sensible Approach to a Disturbing Situation:
You get upset about something. It is all-consuming. But you know, deep down, it’s not that important. Perhaps this will help. While you are counting to ten, ask yourself these two questions:
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how much is this bothering me?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how important will this seem to me in five years?
Example: My issue with a certain client who is not listening to my advice.
- How much does it bother me now? 8
- How much will it bother me in 5 years? 0
Asking these two questions reminds me that this is a temporary problem, one I can easily fix by allowing the client to improve or by dismissing him. With that in mind, I can relax.
