Letting go of worries and staying on track with your goals

Do you start your day worrying about what you have to do and end every night feeling like you didn’t do enough? Feeling stuck and unmotivated? Or perhaps you are feeling a sense of inadequacy and intense overwhelm?

We all go through these difficult phases in our careers when it feels like we are at a crossroad: do we just let things be the way they are and settle for something we know isn’t right for us or are we gonna make a stand and push ourselves to break through this lull and achieve our greatest potential?

A famous quote, credited to be originally from William S. Burroughs, states: “When you stop growing you start dying.” If you consider this, you’ll soon realize that growth is the only possible choice. When we don’t actively choose and strive for growth, then we have decided to give up responsibility for ourselves and accepted defeat.

Not sure what to do in these challenging times? Here’s how you can courageously face your worries, build resilience and get back on track ASAP.?

Write down your worries.

I talked extensively about the importance of writing down your goals before but I think it must also be said that writing down your worries is equally as important. The things that are weighing on your mind will keep dragging you down until you completely shut down.?

Some people prefer to talk about their worries to other people but I believe that the act of writing is a great way to process your emotions, which will ultimately allow you to understand why you are feeling a certain way.?

I like to categorize my worries into things I can do something about and things I can’t do anything about, and therefore must immediately let go of. There is no point in worrying about things you can’t change, however, there are so many things that you can actually control when you dedicate your full attention to them.?

Be action-oriented.

Under the first category, I write down all the things I can do to solve my problem: what can I do right at this moment to ease my worry? And what can I do in my daily life to address this?

This is why movement and good habits are so essential. Sometimes, we just need to get out of our heads and do something physically. This method of stating an action you can do NOW and an action you can do every day allows you to stay focused on solving the problem, shifting your energy into that of a problem solver instead of a worrier.?

Visualize the result you want

Many people don’t achieve their goals because they actually don’t know what their goals are. When I am working on a project, I often envision the perfect result by answering this simple question: how will it look like if it all works out?

This is a technique athletes use all the time. Imagery and visualization, where elite athletes visualize an action (i.e. crossing the finish line, making a service ace), are shown to improve sports performance.?

This process of envisioning things working perfectly gives me the motivation to actually do what I need to do. When I see how amazing the end result can be, I am inclined to work harder and stay focused.?

Lastly, don’t be too harsh on yourself.

“The nature of life is to grow,” says Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Just look outside the window and notice how nature moves and grows without the need for any harsh force.?

Treat your mind like a garden, carefully picking out weeds of worries to make space for abundance. Stress and anxiety have many detrimental effects on your mind and body and can even lead to heart disease and other health problems. You are bound to face challenges in your journey, but through it all, know that growth and building resilience involve a gentle understanding and acceptance of yourself.