Do you worry much?
If you’re reading this then you’ve come through a lot. No one gets off in this life.
But here’s a question:
What percentage of stuff that you’ve worried about in the past has actually come to pass?
That answer is unique to you. But what’s inarguable is that some of the anticipated bad stuff didn’t happen.
Last year I asked my mother, who was 98 at the time, this question:
“Mam what percentage of stuff that we worry about actually happens? Is it 10% maybe?”
She answered:
“Ah Brendan that’s way too much.”
Time and energy spent worrying about stuff that might not happen is wasted.
However, time and energy spent worrying about stuff that does end up happening is also wasted. That may sound cruel. It’s not meant to be. Maybe worrying is normal – part of the human condition.
And I’m not immune to worrying. Many years ago I had a biopsy for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It was Christmas time – so maybe the labs weren’t working at their normal pace. I spent two weeks awaiting the result.
Did I worry during those two weeks? Absolutely.
Did the worrying do me any good? Absolutely not.
What could I do? Nothing except to nudge for a result. So that (nudging) is what I did. Besides that nudging, I tried to focus on other things. To do other things. To be around people. To socialise.
Are there possible storms gathering for your business? Threats?
If so, you may be worried.
But what can you do? That’s the question.
You may know the Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Prayer is not a part of my life – I don’t believe in God. But there is great wisdom in that prayer. You and I, with or without God’s help, can look at what we’re facing, determine what we can do about it, get on with doing it, and try and ignore everything else.
Worried about your revenue? Ok – what sales and marketing actions can you take?
Worried about the impact of a toxic employee on the rest of your team? Ok – what can you do to address their behaviour?
Worried about increasing delays in your supply chain? Ok – can you build up stock? Look for alternative suppliers?
There are no magic wands or silver bullets. But there are always things that you can do – no matter how small they are. And, even if they’re small, small things compound over time.
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