Bypass Worry and Get to Work

Owe? No. // How to Bypass Worry and Get to Work

OWE?

NO.

My plan goes sideways…

…but I’m not required to obsess over it.

I have to pay bills…

…but I don’t owe anyone my peace of mind worrying about it.

Someone wrongs me…

…but I’m not obligated to carry resentment about it.

I’m not where I want to be…

…but I’m not required to feel shame about it on any else’s behalf.

There are always only two steps – the one you’re on and the next one. Click To Tweet

Lately I’ve been struck by the idea of choice.  It came up after I was asked if I would take on a massive project – actually a brand new additional job.  There were many reasons to say no – outside my area of expertise, would require a time commitment that I wasn’t sure I could handle.  But after praying, seeking wise counsel, and pondering, I decided to give it a shot.  And once I got started, the scope of what would be required really began to unfold.  It was a lot.  It was right then that I realized the choice in front of me:

Door 1 – Sit here, feel overwhelmed, and allow paralysis to set in.

Door 2 – Bypass worry and get to work.

The thing is, even if I opened Door 1, I would still eventually have to open Door 2.  And in that moment, it just hit me – why not just start taking action?  As simple and obvious as it seems, why not just go directly to Door 2?

This isn’t an appeal to be a stoic — I’ll leave that to Tim Ferriss.  Feel all the feelings, okay?  Seriously.  What I’m suggesting is that you don’t owe anyone or any situation those feelings.  Feel it, sure, but make sure that you’re choosing that door.  Further, consider that taking action might help you move through those feelings quicker.  And let’s be clear — when I say ‘taking action,’ I’m not saying to just cowboy your way through something like you’ve got it all together.  By ‘taking action’, I simply mean choosing to do what you’re able to do right now.  I’ll be honest, I still have a lot of anxiety about this new thing I’ve taken on.  But once I started taking action, it suddenly moved to my peripheral vision.  If I had just sat here waiting for these anxious feelings to just go away on their own, well… I could still be just sitting here, frozen.

There are always only two steps – the one you’re on and the next one.

And the shortest path there is through Door 2.

Listen, I’m not your mama; this isn’t written to tell you what to do.

It is written to remind you about what you don’t have to do.

– Matthew Porter


Matthew Porter writes about decoding success, creative leadership, marketing, and productivity.

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