Today’s post is all about change. Change is hard and it can be incredibly overwhelming. Despite the number of things that have changed in my life, I still tend to forget that making a big change for myself can be very scary. Why is it so difficult to take that leap of faith? Will your worst case scenario happen? And will the risk be worth it?
To combat all these thoughts I have been trying to adopt the mentality of, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
What Ifs?
When we as humans begin to contemplate making a change or making a large decision it is typical to feel some anxiety. Our brain senses these shifts and changes as being potentially dangerous to us. This makes us question whether we are doing the right thing. We often start asking what if questions and these are usually the worst case scenario. These questions might look like:
- What if I fail? /What if I am bad at this?
- What if I get hurt?
- What if they leave me?
- What if I lose my job?
- What if this isn’t the right time?
It is so incredibly natural to have these thoughts. But when you do, I want you to try to start adding some what if questions that are framed with a positive.
- What if I meet the love of my life?
- What if I get that promotion I deserve?
- What if my venture is successful?
- What if I have so much fun along the way?
Journaling For the Worst
When you get anxious or overwhelmed, your brain is looking for a sense of safety and a sense of order. Journaling can be a very powerful tool when your brain is thinking the worst. It helps you to get all the intense thoughts that are just free floating in your head and puts them down somewhere outside of you. When you are journaling about what is holding you back or what makes you scared/anxious there are a couple of ways to do it that I have found helpful.
How Likely Is It To Happen?
The first method that you could employ is thinking through how likely it is that something bad is going to happen. In this method you are going to write down your goal-what is it that you want to do if you had nothing holding you back. Then write down the worst thing/s that could happen if you pursued that goal. Once you have your fears on there, consider the likelihood of this thing actually happening. Maybe you realize that the likelihood is pretty low or maybe there is a decent chance of it happening. If there is a decent chance of your worst case scenario happening, write down a plan of what you could do if it happened. Does this plan seem reasonable to you? Perhaps after creating this plan, the idea of the worst case scenario happening is no longer so daunting.
Possibilities on a Spectrum
Another method that I really enjoy is journaling out all the possibilities of something that might happen. Start with the worst case scenario. Then work your way up from the worst to the absolute best. This helps you to see that there is a variety of possibilities out there and that they are not all bad. For example: consider going out on a first date with someone.
- Worst Case- The person you meet is harmful to you either physically or emotionally
- Not Great Case- The person you go to meet ghosts you/stands you up
- Meh Case- The person you meet is just not the right fit for you
- Good Case- The person you meet is nice and you have a fun time.
- Great Case- The person you meet just clicks with you and you want to go on another date with them.
In Summary
Can change be scary and overwhelming, absolutely. However, change is the only way that we can grow and continue making progress for ourselves. There will truly never be the perfect time to start. And you cannot get anywhere unless you start. You will never progress further in life if you are not willing to take a risk on something that you really want for yourself. Whether it is finding a romantic partner, going back to college, switching career pathways, or improving your health, none of these things can happen until you take a chance on yourself and see what happens.
