When you find yourself worrying or anxious about something (and we're talking about things that aren't life threatening here!), allow yourself no more than a 20 percent timeframe to wallow in worry—or 'the problem space.' Then commit to stepping out of the problem space and into a solution space, where you think about what you can do today to create a more positive situation that runs counter to your anxiety-producing scenario.

The 80-20 Rule Steps in a Nutshell:

1. Notice that you're worrying.

2. Allow yourself a few minutes to clearly see the scenario that's causing you worry.

3. Once you've got a clear picture of the worry wart scenario, identify the opposite — as in a more positive depiction — of that scenario.

4. Identify several things that you can do today and that week to create the positive scenario.

If you spend much of your time anxious and find that you can't apply mindset management tools such as this, consider a stress management class or professional guidance. As we've said, life's too short to spend it all in the problem space!

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