Catastrophe journaling
I really like this idea from Seth Godin:
Every time you’re sure you’ve blown it, completely blown it, that you’re certain you’re going to get disbarred, fired, demoted—becoming friendless, homeless and futureless—write it down in your Catastrophe Journal.
A simple blank book, always use the same one.
Just a few sentences, that’s all you need. Write down:
- What you did that was so horrible.
- The consequences you expect since the world as you know it is now coming to an end.
Do this every time a catastrophe occurs.
What you’ll find, pretty certainly, is that two things happen:
- You will realize over time that your predictions of doom don’t occur, and
- As soon as you begin writing down the details, the cycle we employ of making the details worse and worse over time will slow and stop.
We all need a bit of perspective, especially me. I usually get mine from travel but, if that’s not possible, this is a great habit to get into!
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