Are you one of those people who worry about anything and everything? It’s hard to get out of that habit. In fact, it’s more a part of your core personality and your moral code than “just” a simple habit. This makes it more of a challenge to change it. Yet, change it we must. Particularly if we let worry stop us from taking action and doing the things we want and need to get done. The good news is that slow thinking can help you do just that.
Most of the time, the biggest worry is the worry of the unknown. As soon as we dig in and get started on something, or work towards the goal, much of the paralyzing worrying stops. If the fear of not knowing is the problem, slow thinking is the solution because it will help you come up with a game plan. Here’s how to do this in a way that will help you focus on action instead of any obstacles or any possible negative outcome.
Start by coming up with a simple game plan. This doesn’t have to be anything big or involved. Remember, the goal is to stop worrying and to make this easy. Take a few minutes to think about where you are now and where you want to go. What’s your big goal at the end of this new project or task? Now visualize how you can get from point A to point B. It’s okay to not have all the answers. You can fill in the blanks along the way. Jot down a rough plan of what you need to do, taking note of major milestones along the way. This is particularly important when you’re looking at a project or task that will take some time to complete.
Then figure out your first step. That’s all you really need to get started, but don’t get to work just yet. Take a moment to do a quick gut check. How are you feeling about this game plan? Do you have enough information to stop the worry? If not, take a few more minutes and jot down the next few steps. Figure out what you want to get done through the end of the week. How are you feeling now? Is this enough information to make you feel comfortable and in control? If not, do a little research, talk to some people, and start to flesh out those milestones and what you need to do to reach them.
Most of the time, a simple and rather rough game plan and map is all we need. Other times, we need to get a few more details before we feel comfortable. If all else fails, give yourself a day to work through your task list. You may find that getting started is all you needed to keep the worries at bay.
