Day 14: What Could Go Wrong
You’re planning to do something for the first time, and then a whole heap of what-if questions start firing in your brain.
Listen to the audio, then do the journaling activity below.
How many times in your life has the following scenario happened?
You’re planning to do something for the first time. When you think about doing that thing, a whole heap of what-if questions start firing in your brain.
- What if I’m not good enough?
- What if I get hurt?
- What if so-and-so doesn’t turn up?
- What if I get embarrassed?
- What if I fail?
- What if people laugh at me?
- What if people don’t laugh at me?!
Then, after all the what-if questions have fired, another inner voice cuts in. It fires a volley of insults in the direction of the first voice. It shoots comments like…
- Stop being a wimp!
- When the heck are you going to grow up!
- You’re pathetic!
- You’re dumb!
- Don’t screw this up!
That second voice can be so loud that you refuse to take another step and give up on the idea of doing that thing.
Let me make life a lot easier for you. Listen to the first voice. Ignore the second one.
The first is your gut instinct trying to get you to listen and manage the risk that is present. The second voice is fear speaking.
Today’s journaling prompt…
What are all the risks (potential negative impacts or things that could go wrong) you can identify with bringing your wild idea into reality?
Aim to list out 20-30 risks. If you can do more, great!