JUST THINKING AND FEELING: WHAT IS A MISTAKE?

How do you handle a situation in which someone is so scared of making a mistake in the decision they need to make that they panic? If most of their energy is focused on the panic, then very little is left to deal with the problem that is worrying them. So, let’s see how we can reduce anxiety. The first thing to do is to take a deep breath and relax.

- DR. ICHAK K. ADIZES

Next, go to the table, take out a piece of paper, and write down everything that you need to do that scares you. Don’t stop until you have a complete list of all the tasks you must accomplish, including laundry.

Once you have a finite list, the panic will subside. Part of anxiety comes from the feeling that the problems are endless. The moment there is an exhaustive list, there is less uncertainty. Having a finite list can offer some sense of assurance.

The moment there is an exhaustive list, there is less uncertainty. Having a finite list can offer some sense of assurance.

Now, don’t act based on your long-term goals or purpose in life when you’re in a crisis. When you are up to your neck in a swamp of crocodiles, it’s useless to think about long-term planning. What you really need to do is get the hell out of that swamp before you’re eaten alive! So you should order the list by time sensitivity. Ask yourself, “What is the most urgent thing that I have to do, and what can wait?” Then you look at that list of urgent tasks and ask yourself another question: “Does it really need to be done, or do I think it should be done because someone told me so? Or it is my ego that I want it to be done?”

Don’t choose based on ‘want’ or ‘should.’ Focus on what must be done now, what the situation dictates. This exercise should narrow down the list but this is where the fear of making a decision comes to haunt us. You are facing reality and fear that you might make a mistake.