When we think of someone who is indifferent we tend to think of a disengaged person. Someone who doesn’t care, who is uncommitted and dispassionate. None of that sounds good. But there is a time for indifference in our lives and successful, happy people know when to use it.

They’ve mastered the discipline of being indifferent to the things, circumstances, and situations in life that make no difference. They burn no time or energy on “stuff” that doesn’t matter.

Indifference to unimportant things involves cultivating a mindset. It lets you focus on what matters and let go of unnecessary concerns. Here are some strategies to help you achieve this.

Identify What Matters

• Set Priorities: Determine what is most important to you in terms of your core values, goals, and relationships. If you have no core or can’t readily identify your core values, then it will be hard for you to know what matters. So begin by setting goals based on your core values.

• Assess Impact: Evaluate the impact of various things on your life. If something has minimal or no impact, it’s easier to be indifferent to it. Be honest here, I mean really, how much difference does it actually make if the donut shop starts putting 3 less sprinkles on their donuts.

Mindfulness and Awareness

• Practice Mindfulness: Being present in the moment helps you recognize when you’re getting caught up in things that don’t matter. Check yourself for a moment and ask “Will I even care about this in 30 days?” Your answer may help you let go of the “junk” that isn’t all that important.

• Self-Reflection: Regularly reflect on your thoughts and actions to ensure they align with your priorities. The key word there is regularly.

Develop Emotional Resilience

• Emotional Regulation: Learn to manage your emotions. Techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or cognitive-behavioral strategies can help. The reality is that most of us are bombarded daily with less than intelligent ideas and suggestions. If you give all the silliness in the world the opportunity, it will eventually wear you down to the point where you can no longer focus on the important things.

• Detachment: Practice emotional detachment by not allowing external events to overly influence your emotional state. Go ahead and run the risk of having people say you just don’t care. The reality is that’s just fine because in many circumstances, you just shouldn’t care.

Simplify Your Life

• Declutter: Reduce physical and mental clutter by eliminating unnecessary possessions and distractions. I’m an American. While I hope for nothing less than an absolute full recovery for the wonderful Princess Kate, whether or not she ever returns to all her royal duties doesn’t matter one bit to me. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it won’t have much impact on any American. So wish her well, pray for her and her family and move the heck along. Whatever is going on with the Royal Family is simply “mental clutter” to Americans.

• Simplify Decisions: Create routines and systems to minimize decision fatigue and focus on what’s essential. The smaller, less impactful a decision is on your life, the faster you should make it. Don’t allow needed decisions to pile up. Make them quickly and efficiently. It saves “brain space” for the decisions that really matter.

Cultivate a Growth Mindset

• Embrace Change: Understand that not everything is within your control and be open to adapting to new circumstances. Quit trying to control the things you can’t so that you have the stamina, mental and physical, to control the things you can.

• Learn from Experiences: Use experiences, whether positive or negative, as opportunities for growth rather than sources of stress.

Positive Focus

• Gratitude Practice: Regularly practice gratitude to shift your focus towards positive aspects of your life. I’ve said this before but the discipline of using the first 30 seconds of your day to focus on what you’re grateful for is life-changing.

• Positive Relationships: Surround yourself with people who support and uplift you. Eliminate the nattering nabobs of negativism from your life, and you’ll be well on your way to focusing on what really matters.

When you integrate these practices into your life, you can develop a mindset that prioritizes what truly matters. They will help you remain indifferent to things that don’t make a significant difference. You’ll be more productive, happier, and much closer to living your very best life.