This morning, I was looking for a white pair of long socks. Eventually, I managed to pull one out of the closet. I unfurled the socks and put them on.
“Ugh. Again?!” One sock was shorter than the other. It felt twisted, out of shape, and the portion that’s supposed to cover my heel wouldn’t fit. It must have shrunk a while ago while drying.
I know these socks, of course, and that’s why I went, “Ugh.” This was the third time I unsuspectingly grabbed and wore them, only to realize they wouldn’t do. Finally, I did the right thing: I took them off and threw them in the trash.
From 2014 to 2018, I wore a festival bracelet that was dear to me. One day, I wanted to play volleyball, so I cut it off. Parting with tradition requires the right timing. Parting with something broken that’s replaceable does not.
If you don’t want to worry about minor issues longer than you need to, don’t turn 30 seconds of responsibility into a month-long weight on your shoulders.
When the socks don’t fit, you can put them back, punt the problem, and set yourself up for another unpleasant surprise — or you can throw them away, make a note to buy new ones, and move on with your day.