Yes, we Millenials suck sometimes. But you know what we are good at? Not giving a shit about things that don’t actually matter. Especially things that don’t actually matter in our own specific lives (I’m looking at you AP Calculus. And you, insert basically any celebrity name here who is famous for nothing). Elderly people are also pretty good at this, because they realize they can count how many fucks they have left to give on both hands and want to use them wisely. We’ve all heard it before, but we should be living like those enlightened elders, allocating our fucks more wisely instead of tossing them willy nilly and ending up working all weekend (cough) for a lot less than you thought you’d be paid as a college graduate.

Sarah Knight’s book is a play off of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Condo (which I also loved, as you can tell from the 20 bags of crap I donated in the last few months). In it, she explains the various types of things and obligations we dedicate time, money, and/or energy toward, as well as teaches us how to limit those to only the things you really actually need or care about. I found it most helpful, as I spend much of my time listening to strangers or acquaintances I don’t really care for talk to me about things I don’t care about or spending my time doing things for these people that I also don’t care about.

I’m not saying I’m going to knock over a bookshelf and run out the door shouting “Later suckas!” behind me the next time I have a rough time at work, but I’ve learned there are things I can do to make things I feel completely obligated toward more bearable. As well as things I can drop to make my mental space a little less Hoarders-esque and more like a field of deer and daisies. Things such as that envelope of money that seems to come around the workplace for something or another every week when I am perpetually broke. I learned I don’t have to feel bad about not contributing, when I barely know that coworker who is retiring and only have $14.63 in my wallet. I can still wish that person well and sleep peacefully knowing I’ll be able to afford Subway the next day when I inevitably leave my lunch on the kitchen counter.

I realize some of us are not ready to take all of the author’s practices into consideration, and need to take baby steps first. Totally understandable. In that case, the next time you get a customer that looks down at you like you’re the stringy thing their dog just pooped on the sidewalk that they have no intention of cleaning up, or a coworker wants to discuss their bowel habits in the staff bathroom (unfortunately speaking from experience), just do what I do, and blast the lyrics to Big Sean’s “I Don’t F**k with You” in your brain while you watch the person’s mouth move. Works wonders, I’m telling you. Just don’t accidentally start mouthing the lyrics aloud. Not good.

P.S. You can find Sarah Knight’s book here: http://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Not-Giving-Spending/dp/0316270725?ie=UTF8&keywords=the%20magical%20art%20of%20not%20giving%20a%20f&qid=1462032802&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1