How to Stop Caring So Much
Caring too much about unimportant things is a waste of time and energy. Not only that, it’s actually counterproductive.
By not caring so much — about things you shouldn’t be caring about — you can actually be happier and more productive.
In this article, I’ll share some of the things I don’t care about and some of the things I do care about. Then I’ll share how I stopped caring about the former.
What Not to Care About
Sometimes people think I don’t care about anything. I do care. About some things anyways. I just don’t let the stupid things bother me. I care about the right things. Here are some of the wrong things…
Don’t care about what other people think.
No one cares about you either. Everyone’s stuck in their own head.
Or maybe everyone is judging you. All the time!
It doesn’t matter. You can’t please everyone anyways.
Don’t care about what’s out of your control.
Don’t care that life is hard. Don’t care that your boss is annoying.
Accept reality. Take action. You’ll be alright in the end.
Don’t care about what won’t matter in the long run.
Will the guy walking slowly on the side walk matter 10 years from now?
Will getting too many emails matter 10 years from now?
No. And no.
Don’t care when things go wrong.
If you don’t try, you can’t get anywhere.
Caring about failure will only keep you from succeeding.
Learn from your experiences. Then take best action.
Don’t care about crappy people.
When you care about crappy people, you’re letting them win.
If someone wastes your time, don’t waste more of it by caring.
Nothing is more valuable than your mindset. Not even your time.
What to Care About
Care about what’s in your control.
Eating well. Exercising. Sleeping. Loving. Being grateful. Improving everyday.
Care about what makes you happier and more productive.
If politics stresses you out — then fuck politics.
If you find politics entertaining — then do your thing.
Care about yourself.
Not in a selfish way. Actually, yes, in a selfish way.
Don’t just care about yourself. Love yourself.
It’s impossible to care about stupid shit at the same time as loving yourself.
Care about what matters.
Does what restaurant you eat at this weekend matter? Does what you order matter?
No.
What matters is who you’re going with.
How to Stop Caring
Know your values.
Do you value money? Fame?
Or do you value your time? Your happiness? Your independence?
If you don’t choose your values, someone else will choose them for your.
Experience caring and failing.
Fail. Embarrass yourself.
Learn that it isn’t so bad.
It could be much worse.
Be grateful that it isn’t.
Then move on. Just keep taking the best action.
Experience not caring and winning.
One time I stopped caring about stupid things. I stopped trying to read people’s minds. I stopped caring about what’s gone wrong in the past and what could go wrong in the future.
Instead, I cared about what was in my control and what mattered. Then I took best action.
I wrote a proposal and sent an email.
I made money.
Don’t feel guilty
There’s a fine line between not caring and being reckless. Mind it carefully.
But don’t feel guilty about not caring.
Anytime you hear something explained by “you just have to” — run. That’s not a reason. That’s a scam.
