Our perception is generally tuned towards the problems we see around us. It’s easy to become apathetic towards everything that’s going right.

When those problems are [relatively] small, we can still see the forest for the trees and keep moving. But sometimes, we encounter problems that are seemingly so large that they appear as roadblocks preventing us from moving forward.

One of the tools I’ve found useful in those cases is creating a broader perspective - trying to look at your world in different domains - family, friends, lifestyle, career, your physical and mental capabilities. This is not for the sake of balancing - finding what’s good in one domain seldom counteracts what’s not great in another. It’s the awareness of the problem in the context of everything else makes it more manageable.

This level of awareness seems to build naturally when establishing a daily routine. Having a system to fall back on helps to anchor your day, and the result is a more calm outlook towards any problems you have - no matter their size.