Having dinner with family over the weekend. They were struggling to make a decision. They had a week to complete important work on their home before leaving for an extended trip abroad. At the same time they were being encouraged to attend a conference that could be significant for them. As ever I am far better at helping other people solve their problems than I am at solving my own, and I immediately jumped in with the 10/10/10 rule. Did they know about it? No they didn't, and neither do you, admit it.

So the next time you are faced with a difficult choice apply these simple questions:
- Will it matter in 10 minutes?
- Will it matter in 10 months?
- Will it matter in 10 years?
What is the likely impact of my actions on me, my family etc, within these time frames?

It can help you control your spending, your use of time, and much more. I could give you examples, but I'd have to charge you for that; you're quite capable of working it out yourself. Ok, then here are a couple of examples:

If you have children, do you spoil them and give them what they want so that in 10 minutes time you have a quiet life, or do you deny them instant gratification so that in 10 years they have developed the sort of personality that you want for them? How many times have we opted for the former without considering what they will be like 10 years hence?

How did my family members decide? (The 10 minute element didn't apply) - They were at crossroads in their lives and badly needed to know what the next step of their journey would entail, so networking was important. However there was no guarantee that the conference would be significant in helping them find the next step. It might impress some key people, but that's about it. On the other hand, getting the work done on their property would mean they could rent it out and earn an income for the 3 months they were planning to be away. Over 10 months they would have some income when they needed it. Over 10 years, their next steps would open up whether they went to the conference or not. So they missed the conference.

Thanks to Suzy Welch who I believe invented this (Did I ever come up with anything original?)
(Nick, I bet you can't come up with a YouTube for this one!)

Oh, by the way, we spoil our 10 grandchildren rotten. But we expect their longsuffering parents to take the tough line, (growing Godly tomatoes v. the naughty step so forth)