What if
… Everyone is watching?
… No one is watching?
… You do it anyways?
… You don’t get enough sleep?
What if
… The worst happens?
… The best happens?
What if …
…You’re wasting your opportunity?
…You can’t put it off until tomorrow,
because you don’t get another tomorrow?
What if …
… You’re scared of the outcome?
… You become so paralyzed that you do nothing?
… You worry so much about the process, the end point, the decision,
that you abstain from all choice, shaking in fear, trembling over uncertainty,
dubious about every determination, stuck somewhere silly,
because choice is too difficult?
What if you…
… ask whatif, whatif, whatif, whatttiiifff so many times,
wahdddifff … it starts sounding like the wind whistling past your worrying ears,
Whadddifff, whaddif, whudif,
you, yooo, yuuuu.
Whhhaaddddifff yoooo …
stop asking what if?
What if
“What if” isn’t helping?
Here’s a trick about the “what – if” game. Answer the question, with two scenarios each time: the best and the worst. Visualize it. Map it. Know it. Choose it. Don’t just ask the question. Asking the question reels you into a spiraling uncertainty, an unknown bounty of fear, a paralysis of procrastination.
Play the game. Answer the question. Know what an outcome might be. Find the best case and the worst case: set yourself up. Know how you would respond. Then choose what you’re going to do.
Do something.
Good advice, Sarah!
I have a habit of over-thinking decisions; of writing down a long list of pros and cons, remembering the effects of past choices, and weighing all possible future outcomes. But sometimes, there is not time for all of that. And often, “the worst case” is still an improvement from doing nothing at all.
Thanks for the reminder!
I used to ask “what if?” about everything, over-thinking situations, especially regarding travel. I discovered recently after 8 months of continuous travel, that I stopped this internal dialogue. Truth be told, I didn’t even realise I stopped. When someone suggested we do something, I would just say “Hella Yez!” if it sparked my interest. I was talking with someone much younger than myself the other day, and I noticed they were afraid of making a decision, and questioning themself. I just said “Stop thinking… What If? …stop questioning the decision you made… be happy with where we are and what we’re doing”…I totally realised I don’t do this anymore; and let them know I used to be like them. Literally, a few minutes later we ran into someone from their childhood, and we are half-way around the world from where they grew up!! Definitely ended up being a decision well made… no “What If?” necessary.