List all the responsibilities and concerns you have

Think about what I can control,
not what I cannot impact.

One of my favourite books is the superb Seven Habits Of Highly Effective
People. In it (and you can search YouTube here too), the author, Stephen R.
Covey talks a lot about the circle of influence and the circle of concern.

Often I found things consuming my thoughts, worries and decisions based
on things I simply couldn’t control. I found myself operating too much in
the circle of concern rather than worrying too much about what I can do to
positively change, impact or improve upon.

I can’t control the weather, the interest rates or what the government will
decide to do next. They create the frame that I may operate from but then
within this what can I actively impact? Nothing!

So check out the video, read the book and make a conscious decision to only
let the things you can impact or control impact on you.

These might show up closer to home with acquaintances saying what you
should do. Rob should do this, he should do that, he should be here or he
should be there. The should gremlins as I call them operate often in the circle
of concern but affect our thoughts and decisions.

I prefer to operate rather from the circle of control here and ask what I could
do. Could rather than should. It put a lot of control and decision at my door
and not what others say I should be doing.