Does It Pass The Eightieth Birthday Test?

Clare Josa, Research & Training Director

Want a simple technique to help figure out whether that thing that’s stressing you really matters?

Here’s one of my favourites – the eightieth birthday test.

“Does it pass the eightieth birthday test? If not, then it’s not really important.”

How often do we get fixated on proving a point in an argument? Or feeling stuck over what seems to be a big decision? It’s a major cause of stress – and relationship problems.

Luckily there’s a simple test you can apply, to figure out if it really matters.

Imagine it’s your eightieth birthday – or a birthday at least ten years ahead.

Look back at the event from today and see it with the eyes, heart and experience of that eighty year old you.

Does that old choice or action make any difference to the eighty year old you? Did it change the course of your life? If yes, was it in a way that you would want?

What advice would the eighty year old you give the younger you, in this situation?

Coming back to the hear and now, what have you discovered?

I’m curious: is there a situation where you could experiment with this technique today?

When you experiment with this, you’ll notice you end up with a wonderful sense of relief, when the job is done.

Wishing you a day full of sunshine and laughter.
Namaste,
Clare

This article is an excerpt from The Little Book Of Daily Sunshine by Clare Josa.

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About the Author 

Clare Josa

Clare is considered a global authority in the fields of Imposter Syndrome, burnout and sustainable performance for individuals and teams. She has been an international keynote speaker for over 20 years.

Her research is cited in PhDs and taught on MBAs, worldwide, and she is the creator of the life-changing Safe to THRIVE™ and Natural Resilience Method® frameworks, which she teaches at Facilitator and Master Coach levels, as well as in the world's first Imposter Syndrome App - Imposter Syndrome Hacks™.

The author of ten books, a reformed engineer, and the former Head of Market Research for one of the world's most disruptive brands, she blends science-backed practical inspiration with demystified ancient wisdom, to help you create breakthroughs in ways that are fast, fun and forever.

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