(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.)
If you are worried about something, ask yourself, “Will this matter a year from now?” Most of the time, it won’t. If so, you don’t have to worry now. This technique is called “Time Warp.”
I learned the Time Warp technique from the book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, who was an American best-selling author.
We experience things like lost wallets, anger from our boss, working on holidays, and rejections from customers. We worry about these things every day.
However, can you remember what you were worried about a year ago? You forget most of your worries a year later. If so, you don’t have to worry now.
J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, also used Time Warp.
J.K. Rowling had to give a commencement speech at Harvard University. She was very nervous and worried about giving it. It was a huge responsibility for her. She even lost weight from fear.
However, she was able to overcome it. She said the following in her speech:
“Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility; or so I thought until I cast my mind back to my own graduation. The commencement speaker that day was the distinguished British philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock. Reflecting on her speech has helped me enormously in writing this one, because it turns out that I can’t remember a single word she said. This liberating discovery enables me to proceed without any fear that I might inadvertently influence you to abandon promising careers in business, the law or politics for the giddy delights of becoming a gay wizard.”
I often worry about things, but I can’t remember what I worried about last year. I don’t have to worry much, because I’ll forget what I’m worrying about now a year later.
You might think that it’s logically correct, but it’s difficult to stop worrying. I think so too.
However, this technique can reduce your worrying a little and give you perspective.
This technique teaches us that we worry too much about little things that we’ll soon forget.
Next time you worry about something, ask yourself, “Will this matter a year from now?”