The stress surrounding the college admissions process causes many families to lose perspective. It can be easy to forget that one grade, test score, or admissions decision alone has never prevented anyone from becoming a happy and successful adult. That’s why I remind parents to bring the long-term perspective, and to help kids develop long-term traits.

To help differentiate between something that you should worry about today and something that won’t matter tomorrow, try the five-year rule.

If it won’t anger, disappoint, or otherwise bother you five years from now, don’t let it negatively affect you today.

Simple? Yes. But effective, and not just with the college admissions process.