Life is about perspective and everyday we have to remember to keep perspective. Oftentimes, we lose site of the bigger picture, our purpose in the grand scheme of things and we need to step back and take the 30,000 foot view.

As always, being a huge fan of Pick the Brain for inspiration, I came across this post, Ten Things That Won’t Matter in Ten Years’ Time and Ten Things That Will.

Maybe you do this, maybe you don’t. But I sometimes live too much in the current 24 hours with its ups and downs and temporarily lose sight of what really matters in the long run.

You’re stressed, overworked, and tired. You feel like you’re dropping the ball on so many things. You find yourself lying awake in the early hours, thinking about those items still on your to-do list, those emails not yet cleared.

Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t sweat the small stuff”? There are so many things that we waste huge amounts of energy on (and worry is always wasted energy), which just won’t matter in a week, let alone ten years.

And in doing so, what ‘important’ things, those things that will really matter 10 years from now, are we forgetting to take care of?

I’ll make my list.

Ten Things that Won’t Matter in 10 Years

1. A sink full of dishes even though the dishwasher is empty.

2. Answering every e-mail quickly and a pathological need to see an empty inbox. (That’s like trying to keep the waves from crashing on shore, right?)

3. Not finding a wifi hotspot everywhere!

4. Saving a few dollars instead of saving time.

5. Always having to be on time at the cost of making everyone around me crazy.

6. Getting stuck behind a slow driver.

7. Waiting on line at the grocery store while someone counts out their pennies or writes a check instead of using a debit or credit card.

8. Getting a bad meal or services at a restaurant

9. Feeling guilt about any number of things.

10. Someone bumping into me and not even saying ‘excuse me.’

Ten Things That Will Matter

1. Calling my parents (now, my Mom) everyday, sometimes two or three times a day just to hear her voice.

2. Telling my son and husband I love them for no reason everyday, all day long

3. Making sure my son learns something new every day.

4. Always finding the money to take vacations and gaining that 30,000 foot view of the world and how the puzzle pieces fit together

5. Keeping my brain stimulated and always questioning.

6. Not collecting and holding onto things but collecting and holding onto experiences.

7. Rescuing a chipmunk (rabbit, mouse, baby squirrel) from my cat’s jaws of death because who knows how that one life saved will impact the ripples of time (and because I can’t stand cleaning up little animal entrails.)

8. Dropping everything to kiss, console or soother away my son’s hurts and worries.

9. Recycling

10. Buying organic and fair trade whenever possible because I believe in saving the planet one act at a time.

Keeping perspective on your solo practice as you ride the 24 hour cycles are just as important. Those days that go south and make you want to chuck it all are the days you need to step outside, take a breath of fresh air and say, ‘will what is bothering me today and seem so critical or earth-shattering or annoying matter in 10 years?’ And then keep sight of the goals you have for yourself in ten years, both personally and professionally. You’ll be able to find your priorities fairly quickly and expend your energies accordingly.

It’s a habit that must be learned, nurtured and respected. It will make your day, week, month and life better.

So, what’s on your list?

Think about it as we enter the holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving from Solo Practice University!