If you’ve hit a snag and feel as if it’s you vs. the world, ask yourself one simple question: “Am I struggling against something that is unchangeable?”

Ok, after you ask that one, ask this one:  “Do I have any control over this thing?”

Ask these questions about each of your “battles”:

-       your desire for more feedback from your boss

-       your irritation with the consistently bad produce at your nearby grocery store

-       your annoyance with impolite people

Will your boss change because you want her to? Probably not.

Is the grocery store going to start selling better produce? Unlikely.

Will those impolite people start practicing good manners? Maybe, maybe not.

In each of these cases, though, you have the power to control how you feel.  So, don’t give up your power.

You may not be able to change the situations, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept them either. Make it easier for your boss to give you feedback by asking her specific questions about your work performance. Go to a different grocery store. Ignore slights from strangers.

The key is to adjust your expectations of others and determine how critical it is to win each of your battles. If something isn’t going to change, then why keep railing against it? Move on. Feel better.

And remember: Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.