Worry happens when we focus too much on outcomes instead of process when it comes to doing or accomplishing something. It can emanate from general pessimism, a lack of confidence, past failures that were never resolved or concern with things outside of our control.

To clear your deck of worry, do the following:

  1. Get a stack of post-it notes.
  2. Grab a note and write this: “I am absolutely exaggerating the number of monsters under my bed and the extent to which they have me worrying.”
  3. Grab another note and identify one worry. Just one.
  4. On another note identify the most likely cause(s) of the worry. Be VERY honest here.
  5. Then decide on two actions you’ll take to overcome the cause(s). Maybe only one action will do, but have a back-up.
  6. Set a goal to eliminate one worry per week.
  7. Important: Post the 3 notes in a place where you ABSOLUTELY have to see them every day. Read the “monsters” note several times per day and let the message seep into your psyche. Don’t remove this note; it stays until you decide you don’t need it anymore.
  8. Remove the other two notes as you resolve a particular worry, replacing them with two more… and so on until you’ve cleared your cache of worry.