Clinical Psychologist David Carbonell wrote:
“Because we feel vulnerable about the future, we keep trying to solve problems in our head.”
That process, otherwise known as rumination, leads to these kind of conversations with yourself:
- What if nobody buys it?
- What if no-one shows up?
- What if I run out of money?
- What if it doesn’t work?
- What if I can’t do it?
Trouble is, because there are way more ways for life to go wrong than right, imagining every possible doomsday scenario takes so much mental capacity.
So, if you find yourself ruminating, simply flip your internal narrative through 180 degrees.
- What if it’s a roaring success, everyone loves me, and I make more money than I’ve ever made in my life?
That’ll take a smaller part of your brainpower to work through.
Plus, the dopamine rush you’ll get from imagining your glorious future might just propel you to make it happen.