Because I am reading Dale Carnegie’s book on How To Stop Worrying and Start Living I found the Time article by the same name very interesting. See it at Time here.
Similar to the article, Carnegie talks about wasted worry. Worrying about things that may not happen, or even worse, that are out of your control. This is wasted worry. If you can’t do anything about it – why spend precious moments thinking about it.
The article focuses on risk and makes some comparisons. While the comparisons in my opinion are somewhat silly – they are effective in making a valid point. Worry about things you can control rather than the things that are out of your control.
The article goes into some detail about the brain and its history and the classic flight vs. fight mechanisms.
The article spends significant space on describing why Risk is not a great way of addressing worry.
In the end – the article does nothing to help you cope with worry.
As a public service – I am providing a few simple approaches to dealing with worry as suggested by Dale Carnegie.
Its Carnegie’s content somewhat modified with my view of it.
Live In Day Tight Compartments:
- Forget about yesterday – its over – it can’t be changed.
- Focus on what has to be done today.
- Remember what Scarlet says "I’ll worry about that tomorrow."
- If you create a plan – planning is one event. The plan tells you what to do each day.
Dealing With A Problem
- Ask your self what’s the worst that could happen.
- Imagine the worst and accept it.
- If that’s the worst – then what can you do to make it a little bit better.
Getting Past A Problem
Ask yourself the following four questions
Write the answer down as if you were submitting it as a essay in university.
- What am I worrying about? – Describe the problem or problems in great detail.
- What can I do about it? – Provide at least four solutions. Doing nothing is a reasonable option.
- What I am going to do?
- When am I going to start?
This summary of Dale Carnegie just barely touches the surface of two chapters.
If worrying is stopping you from being successful – then get the book and start doing something today!!
A couple of Zale thoughts. These are some questions I try to ask myself about every problem that disturbs me.
- Can the problem be solved with a cheque? Even a huge cheque is just an inconvenience.
- Will I care about the problem a week, month, year, 5 years from now?
- What is the worst that can happen if I make the wrong decision?
- What does it cost me (emotionally, physically, fiscally) if I delay making a decision?
- Who is going to be hurt by this?
I hope this helps.
Any comments and thoughts on this are always appreciated.
What about some next steps?
Click here to read some ideas about helping yourself.
Zale
Keyword Related posts:
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Your summarize is excellent: clear and simple. I have only one observation: I believe it would make more sense if you used the title “Getting Past A Problem” instead of using the “Dealing With A Problem” and vice versa. Once you apply the follows steps:
————
1. Ask your self what’s the worst that could happen.
2. Imagine the worst and accept it.
3. If that’s the worst – then what can you do to make it a little bit better.
————
when you don’t have another option unless accept the problem, and it means it is already a old problem. Therefore you are dealing with Past Problem, not only “Dealing with a problem” which means present problem.
Best Regards
[ZT - Nice thought - Once I have written the article I hesitate to change it though, because of searching and outside links]