23 Mar 2011

Are you a worry wart?

So what exactly is a “worry wart”? Well the dictionary defines a worry wart as “someone who worries excessively and needlessly.” For those of us who are worry warts, they will know exactly what this means and for those that don’t it might be a bit of an alien thought.

The reality is that the vast majority of the things we worry about never happen – so why on earth do we worry about them? Worry can take away so much enjoyment from life and it can have a major impact on your business. Here is some advice that might just help those worry warts out there to stop worrying and get on with living –

6 WAYS TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING

1. Most of the things we worry about are things that could happen in the future. This means that people who worry excessively spend way too much time living in the future and very little time being present right here right now. So spend more time living day by day.

2. Worry is driven by fear – the big “what if?” To take the power out of this fear, ask yourself what is the very worst things that could happen regarding the particular problem that you are worried about. Visualise that it has happened. Then think about what your life would life after that problem has happened and most importantly think about what you will do to get on with your life. This takes a lot of the fear out of the worry as you come to terms with the problem and you have a plan to deal with it if it occurs.

3. Acknowledge that you have done the best you can regarding a particular issue or problem and that that there is nothing more you can do. If you haven’t done the best you can – go back and do more. When you can put your hand on your heart and say and believe that you can’t do any more, it seem kind of futile to worry, so you tend to stop.

4. Understand the damage that worry does to your body. It can become a 24/7 immense stress that can lead to all kinds of health issues. Once you realise the price you pay for worry, you might not be prepared to pay for it.

5. Deal with facts not with fiction. Try to reprogramme your mind to not worry about anything until you have all of the facts in front of you. Most of the time we are worrying about things that are nothing more than rumour and they will never actually happen.

6. Keep away from people who fuel worry – and there are plenty of them. These are the prophets of doom and the misery mongers. Do whatever you can do keep these folk at bay and don’t buy into their negativity.

And if this still isn’t enough to help you stop worrying, I strongly recommend that you invest $25 and buy Dale Carnegie’s book – “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”. An old book with very sound advice.

OK, have a great week and I will talk to you again soon,
Andrew

Professional Presenters Bootcamp June 9th – the next Professional Presenters Bootcamp has been confirmed for June 9th in Cairns. You can download a brochure or book online HERE.

Sunshine Coast Small Business Expo March 30/31 – The Sunshine Coast Business Expo happens next week and most of the events are just about sold out. There are a few spots left, so if you are thinking about coming along, book your tickets as soon as you can – MORE INFORMATION

Become a Key Person of Influence, Melbourne May 28th – this is a highly successful programme that originated in the United Kingdom several years ago and now it is coming to Australia. It is based on a 30 week professional development programme covering pitching, publishing, product, profile and partnerships. I will be presenting the publishing element at this one day launch event and then delivering the publishing component of the course in the following weeks. It is going to be a huge programme and it is literally transforming lives. Watch this space for more information – but you can go to the UK site to check it out – BECOME A KEY PERSON OF INFLUENCE