Will This Matter in 5 Years? The Question That Changed My Perspective

This weekend, I got a late-night text from a team member. She needed to talk, so I picked up the phone. Turns out, one of our favorite people on the team was leaving. It was a bummer, for sure. We really enjoyed working with him, and his departure would definitely change things.

It would have been easy to get upset, frustrated, or even freak out about how we’d manage without him. But instead, I thought about a simple question: Will this even matter in 5 years? It’s a question that really shifts your perspective.

• Focus on what truly matters in the long run.
• Don’t let short-term stress or drama derail your focus.
• Perspective is key to managing challenges.

This question, "Will this even matter in 5 years?" is something I heard from someone in the 1%. It sounds simple, right? But it’s amazing how often the answer for most things is no. Having this kind of perspective is so important because it helps you stay focused on what actually grows and makes a difference over time, instead of getting caught up in the little things that distract you.

When I got that call about my team member leaving, I could have easily let the negative feelings take over. But by asking myself if I’d even remember this bad news in 5 years, it put things into a different light. Moments of stress, drama, and friction are rarely worth the energy we give them when we look at the bigger picture.