What to do when I'm worried?

Drew’s Reminder,

     The act of worrying has never helped you have success in any situation you’ve ever been placed in.  Think back to any situation in your past.  You lost your job and you were worried about how you would replace that income.  Worry didn’t help you replace that income.  You were sick and the doctor’s didn’t know what it was or how bad it would get.  Worry didn’t help you get healthy.  You failed a class and you were worried if you would still graduate on time.  Worry didn’t help you graduate.  You were given a target plan at work that you thought was unachievable and you were worried you wouldn’t get a bonus because of it.  Worry didn’t help you achieve that target or get your bonus.  

     The only thing that can help you in any of those situations above is to focus.  After you lose your job you must now focus on replacing that income.  When you are sick you need to focus on getting healthy.  When you fail a class you must focus on how you will still graduate on time.  When you have what you think is an unachievable target you must focus on how you can achieve it and still get your bonus.

     However, that initial worry still has value.  It has value because it allows you to acknowledge your fear.  That acknowledgement can help you quickly move to focus and faith.  How so?  Think about the situation.  What are you worried about?  What do you fear?  Next, think about what you are confident about.  Whatever you are confident about is where you should focus.  Acknowledge the fear, focus on what you are confident about and have faith it will all work out.

Here are some examples:

Situation	Your Fear	Confident that?	Where should you focus?
Lost your job	□ You will run out of money and can’t pay your bills □ You won’t find a job □ You won’t find a job paying you enough money	□ There are numerous ways to make money in America. □ There is a job market out there with job openings. □ You have experience that demands a salary you desire. □ People lose their jobs every day and they bounce back.	□ Ways to make money in America. □ Job openings in the market and how to find them. □ How to market your experience to demand the salary you desire. □ How others have bounced back from similar situations.
Sick and don’t know how bad it is	□ You could have a terminal disease □ You could lose some function of your body permanently □ You could have to miss work □ You could have so much pain you can’t handle it.	□ There are great doctors out there that can help me. □ I’ve been sick before and survived. □ My body needs my positive attitude now more than ever.	□ Finding great doctors who have had success in these type of situations. □ How did I survive my other sicknesses? □ How can I stay positive because I know my body needs it?
Failed a class	□ You won’t graduate □ You will be highly stressed	□ There are numerous resources (coaches, mentors, tools, techniques) that you can tap into to assist you in your efforts. □ You are not alone. □ You have passed many other courses in the past.	□ What are numerous resources (coaches, mentors, tools, techniques) that I can tap into? □ How have I passed other courses in the past.
Given a target you believe is unachievable	□ You won’t achieve the target □ You won’t get your bonus □ You will be highly stressed the entire time □ You will be blamed for not making target	□ You are experienced enough to do the best of your ability. □ You have had success in your past when you initially were not sure. □ There are numerous resources (coaches, mentors, tools, techniques) that you can tap into to assist you in your efforts.  You are not alone.	□ What are my strengths that will help me achieve this task? □ What have I done in the past that has been successful? □ What are numerous resources (coaches, mentors, tools, techniques) that I can tap into?

     Follow this process the next time you are faced with a situation that causes you to worry.  If you don’t you will just find yourself wasting your time and energy worrying which in the end will never help the situation.

1.  Acknowledge you are worried.

2.  Write down your fears.

3.  Write down what you are confident about.

4.  Focus your efforts on things you are confident about.

5.  Have faith that it will all work out.

     I highly suggest going through this exercise with a pen and your journal, however that is not required.  The only requirement is to go through the exercise so that you can focus your thinking. If you've read any of my previous blogs you know how important I believe your thinking is to your success.  You create your own reality.  That is because your beliefs drive your thoughts.  Your thoughts drive your feelings.  Your feelings drive your actions.  Finally, your actions drive your results.  Whatever results you are getting out of life are all a result of your beliefs and thoughts.  Let this be your reminder the next time you find yourself worrying about a situation in your life.  Quickly move into focus so you can make things happen.  As I always, I wish you the best and enjoy the journey!

With gratitude,
Drew