Don’t go down rabbit holes – keep your eye on the big picture

Typically, on a Friday evening I quietly review the events of the week.?For many years now, my children and I have lived by the mantra: “Always end the week on a better note than you started.” This proved not to be the case for two of my mentees, who revealed separately that they had ended their respective weeks in a “dark place”.?So, I asked them what had changed since our last (recent) conversations. ?

After learning what had given them so much concern –?anxiety, even – I could only conclude that by most people’s standards they were in a pretty good place.?It turned out that they were each focused not on the generality of their positions, but on single specific issues.?So, I suggested applying the practice established by experienced crossword puzzlers who don’t waste time dwelling on clues they can’t answer, they move to the next one.?By the time they return to the unanswered clues, additional letters will have appeared from the answerable ones, making it easier to complete the crossword.?

Rewardingly, I got a “Hey, I get it” response from both mentees –?hopefully, it means they ended that week on a better note than they’d started.

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TAKEOUT

Don’t let obsessive dwelling on an issue lead you to a dark place.?Move forward, then when you look back, you’ll be able to see the issue that’s giving you concern from a much clearer perspective.?

Look out for my next article on a related subject.