10 things to stop worrying about (because they don’t matter in the long run)

by Lachlan Brown | May 13, 2026, 10:55 am

If there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s this: the things I lose sleep over at night are almost never the things that truly matter five, ten, or twenty years down the line.

When I look back at my twenties, I remember all the mental energy I poured into things that—today—feel completely irrelevant. And yet, in the moment, they felt overwhelming.

Worry has a way of magnifying small bumps into insurmountable mountains. But the truth is, much of what we worry about fades into the background. What sticks around is how we lived, how we treated people, and how we grew through challenges.

Here are 10 things I’ve learned we can all stop worrying about, because they don’t matter in the long run.

1. What other people think of you

When I first started writing online, I was terrified of what people would think. Would they laugh at me? Judge me? Think I was ridiculous?

Fast forward to now, and I realize most people are far too caught up in their own lives to obsess over mine. Opinions change, memories fade, and the harsh words we fear rarely stick in the minds of others.

Instead of worrying about what people think, I’ve found it’s far better to live in alignment with my values. When you live authentically, the right people gravitate toward you—and the wrong people stop mattering.

2. Being perfect

I’ve spent years battling perfectionism. I used to obsess over every sentence in my articles, terrified of making a mistake.

But life is too short to chase perfection. Nobody remembers the perfect email you sent or the perfectly clean kitchen you kept. What people remember is the energy you bring, the love you give, and the risks you take.

Mistakes fade. Effort and kindness endure.

3. Having the “right” life path

One of my biggest worries in my twenties was whether I was on the “right” path. Should I stay in my job? Should I travel? Should I pursue writing full time? I constantly compared myself to others, as if there was a perfect map I was supposed to follow.

Here’s what I learned: there is no “right” path. There’s only your path. And the detours, mistakes, and wrong turns? They all add texture and meaning to the journey.

If this resonates, I encourage you to check out the book—it’s written for people who, like me, have wrestled with uncertainty and are seeking a more grounded way forward.

4. Comparing yourself to others

Scrolling through social media, it’s easy to feel like everyone else is winning at life while you’re barely hanging on.

But comparison is a thief. It robs you of joy in your own story. The reality is, no one’s life is as perfect as it looks online. And even if it were, your value doesn’t diminish just because someone else’s highlight reel looks shinier.

When I stopped measuring my progress against others and started focusing on my own growth, I felt lighter.

5. Minor setbacks and failures

I’ve launched websites that failed. I’ve published articles that flopped. I’ve invested time and money into things that went nowhere.

In the moment, these felt crushing. But years later, I barely remember them. What I do remember is the persistence they taught me.

Failures are stepping stones, not tombstones. Worrying about them only blinds you to the lessons they’re here to give.

6. Pleasing everyone

If you try to please everyone, you’ll end up pleasing no one—including yourself.

I used to twist myself into knots trying to say the “right” thing in conversations, keep peace in family dynamics, or avoid disappointing anyone. But the truth is, you can’t carry everyone’s expectations on your shoulders.

In the long run, what matters is being true to yourself and kind to others. The rest is noise.

7. Material possessions

Don’t get me wrong—I love the comfort of a nice home, the ease of good technology, and the joy of treating myself occasionally. But I’ve also learned that no matter how much you accumulate, it never fills the deeper gaps in your life.

The clothes, cars, and gadgets you obsess over today will end up outdated, sold, or forgotten. What endures are the experiences you had while using them, and the people you shared those experiences with.

8. Awkward moments

I can’t count the number of times I’ve replayed a conversation in my head, wishing I’d said something smarter or less embarrassing.

But here’s the thing: no one else is replaying it. People forget your awkward slip-ups far faster than you do.

Those moments that make you cringe at 3 a.m.? They rarely make a dent in how people actually see you in the long run.

9. The uncontrollable future

Worrying about what will happen next year, or in five years, or twenty, is a trap I still fall into. As a business owner, I’ve spent countless nights worrying about algorithms, markets, or economic downturns.

But the truth is, the future is always uncertain. Worrying about it doesn’t make you safer—it only makes you more exhausted.

What matters is how you show up today. When you focus on what you can do now, the future has a way of taking care of itself.

10. Aging

Aging used to scare me. I worried about the gray hairs, the wrinkles, the slowing metabolism.

But as I watch my wife and I prepare to raise our child, I realize that aging is a privilege. It means we get more time with the people we love. It means we get to keep learning, growing, and sharing.

No one on their deathbed regrets the extra birthday they had. They regret the moments they spent worrying instead of living.

Final thoughts

Most of what we worry about fades into the rearview mirror. What remains is the love we gave, the presence we brought to each moment, and the courage we had to live authentically.

The sooner you let go of what won’t matter in the long run, the sooner you free yourself to live fully—today.

Lachlan Brown

Lachlan Brown is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Brown Brothers Media, a digital publishing network reaching tens of millions of readers monthly. He holds a Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies from Deakin University, though his real education came afterward: a warehouse job shifting TVs, a stretch of anxiety in his mid-twenties, and the slow discovery that studying the mind is not the same as learning how to live well. He started experimenting with Buddhist principles during breaks at the warehouse and eventually began writing about what he was learning. That writing became Hack Spirit, a widely read personal development site, and his book Hidden Secrets of Buddhism became a bestseller. His work breaks down complex ideas into frameworks people can apply immediately, whether they are navigating a career change, a difficult relationship, or the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Lachlan splits his time between Singapore and Saigon. He writes about high-performance routines, decision-making under pressure, digital innovation, and the intersection of Eastern philosophy with modern life. His perspective comes from having built things from scratch, failed at some of them, and learned that clarity comes from practice, not theory.