2 words that stop you from changing your life for the better

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These insidious words include fear, powerlessness, despondency and make you give up your dreams. Get rid of them.

What are these words

Controlling your mind is one of the ingredients for success. Much has been written about this. But it's easier to write or read than to implement, even if you have achieved something.

Everyone who is not satisfied with life in shades of gray needs to realize how much words influence us.

The words you use determine who you become, where you end up, and what you get. The phrases that are constantly spinning in your head lead to certain consequences.

• I'm not very good.
• I don't deserve this.
• And if they start to envy me?

There are two words that are more closely related to your psychology and progress than you might imagine. You know them and, perhaps, repeat to yourself several times a day. If you put these two words in one phrase, they work as a trigger for fear, anxiety, defenselessness. They are able to stop you, no matter what you do. Even if you are just one step away from the finish line. These are the words:

What if?..

• What if I try and fail?
• What if I can't?
• What if things don't go according to plan?
• What if that's not what I want?
• What if the husband / wife / children / parents disapprove?
• What if a loved one leaves me?
• What if they laugh at me?
• What if I lose everything?

“What if?..” is the most terrifying question for everyone who tried to achieve something: starting a business, ending unsuccessful relationships, moving to another country, quitting work and generally making at least one of the important decisions in life.

The good news is, if you can imagine what will happen in the worst case, and you can accept it, then sooner or later you will try.

But few people say that attempts rarely lead to exactly the worst result. Most often, the percentage of complete failures is so small (less than 5%) that it can be ignored. Usually it is about the risk and cost of choice.

Doing nothing is also a decision. You just decide to give up on the goal.

How to get rid of their influence

So that all these “what ifs” do not affect you, you need to drive every fear through three filters. They will make you think and demonstrate not only the risks, but also ways to minimize losses so that they stop stopping you.

Let's consider them with an example. Let's say you decide to ditch the warm designer chair at a large corporation to start your own agency.

First question:"What if I don't succeed?"

• We'll have to look for a new job.
• We'll have to lay off the state.
• I'll have to explain to investors where I am doing my money.
• You have to explain to your partner that the idea didn't work.

Second question:"What are the real chances of failure?"

Thirty percent.

Question three:"What needs to be done to reduce the chances of failure?"

• We'll have to look for a new job. It is necessary to create a financial safety cushion that will allow you to hold out for six months, waiting for the first paying customers.
• We'll have to lay off the state. You need to hire people on a contract basis and do as much as possible on your own.
• I'll have to explain to investors where I am doing my money. You need to go into economy mode and use your own capital to start.
• You have to explain to your partner that the idea didn't work. Outline the risks in advance and explain that the first six months are not worth expecting impressive results.

The idea is simple. Consider all the reasons that could lead to failure, and come up with a plan to minimize each of the risks. When you have broken down all your concerns, you can form the basis for a plan. A plan that will help you move from your current state to what you are striving for.

The next time you feel the words “what if” scare you, forcing you to stop and not letting you make a decision that affects your quality of life, pause. Write down all your concerns, realistically assess your chances of failure (and success), and make a comprehensive plan to mitigate the hazards.

Now you have a diagram that will help you find the key to the chest with your wildest dreams and take you into the future. Of course, it may not work. But what do you think is the worst question in the world that starts with two creepy words?

What if I could do it?

Living with regret for what you didn't do is a hundred times worse than worrying about the result. And even worse than cleaning up the consequences of failure. Whatever you are up to, try. Otherwise, you will remember your boring life, which could have been delightful if you just added a drop of calculated risk to it.