Don’t Let These Things Ruin Your Day

In the book, Meditations, Marcus Aurelius reminds himself of the people he will encounter every day. That they would be “ meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly.”

More importantly, it’s ok.

Welcomed even.

People can only be who they are and each makes up the world as it is today. With that information, no day was right or wrong for Aurelius.

No two days are the same. That’s what makes life diverse and interesting. Some days can be productive, exciting, and fulfilling. Other days can be challenging, heartbreaking; you just want it to be over.

The common thread in each day is that we have one. We’re blessed and lucky to be alive, limbs intact, mental faculties working. And that’s an amazing thing.

That does not mean, however, we won’t experience stuff that can ruin our day. A 5-minute incident can set the tone for the next 12 or more hours. And a ruined mindset can cost us time, productivity, and money. OK, spilled coffee on a white shirt will piss anyone off. But make the following things non-negotiable in terms of not ruining your day.

1. Yesterday

I walked into the office at 8 am and immediately noticed my assistant manager looking down in the dumps.

“What’s wrong?”

“We totally messed up that meeting yesterday…”

She’s was right. We did botch that meeting.

My response?

“That was yesterday, though. It’s a new day. Why dwell on what already happened?”

What happened yesterday could really put a damper on your day if you let it. Everything from arguments, missed opportunities, lost money, to general moments of embarrassment could leave us filled with regret, depression, and sadness. That bad energy could ruin today and subsequent days.

Take the lessons with you but leave the negative feelings behind.

2. Other People’s Opinions

Every day someone’s going to say something out of pocket. In some cases, they may even direct those words to you. That person could even be a parent or spouse. At the end of the day, what they say about you is none of your business.

Commit to yourself that someone’s insecurities won’t dictate your spirit.

3. Social Media

Instagram and Facebook have connected the world in ways once unimaginable. But it can put a damper on your day if you invest too much energy.

Productivity: spending hours scrolling and liking pics and not getting any work done.

Metrics: Getting upset because your likes are down.

Nasty Comments: See #2

Debating in the comments: getting into it with a daft person can be an energy suck.

Keep your social use down and use it the right way. Your peace of mind will thank you for it.

4. Laziness

Did you put in your best effort today? We have limited energy to spend each day. Investing that energy in lounging around and procrastinating is a surefire way to ruin your day.

Have a bad day because you tried hard, and things went against you. Not because you know you could have done more and you didn’t.

Conclusion

Each day is a blessing. Squeeze what you can out of each. And don’t let what happened yesterday, other people’s opinions, approvals, or a lack of effort ruin it either. Just keep moving.