I know why you’re anxious

Habit #47 to Fall into Better Habits

I know why you're anxious. It's not because of what you're currently doing. You're anxious because of what you didn’t do when you were supposed to do it.

The ghosts of past decisions haunt us.

Figuring this out saved me from so much stress! And, if you'd like it to save you, too, then read on for a simple Baby Step.

(don’t let them haunt you) Image created by Deb Plotkin

Anxiety is fueled by one word…IF

If I’d started saving at an earlier age, I’d have more money now.

If I’d made better choices, I’d be further along right now.

If I’d dealt with the paperwork the moment it came into my possession, I wouldn’t have so much clutter today.

Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda. Didn’t.

Feeling anxious, therefore, is constantly waiting for one of those ghosts to pop up and scare the bejeezus out of us with a reminder that we still haven’t dealt with the crap we’ve been putting off.

What’s the antidote to anxiety? ACTION.

Do something, anything, right now to move forward with what you have to do. In other words, take a Baby Step. Perhaps this one will help...

BABY STEP

Taking action means confidently moving forward. Oftentimes we find ourselves stuck because we're afraid to move forward because our brains make doomsday predictions.

When we expect the worst, then the worst happens.

Not necessarily the worst outcome that we imagined. Thank God 99% of those wild imaginations never come to pass. Rather, we give ourselves the worst experience because of all the anxiety we’ve caused ourselves. We’ve fueled the fire of anxiety with worry and regret and guilt and fear.

When we stop expecting the worst, then we leave ourselves time and energy and desire to anticipate the best.

What’s the best? Well, it’s unique to each person, but a great expectation for everyone is this Baby Step belief:

I plan for this to go well.