Keep Calm and Carry On:
Even — Especially — if You are Worried About the Future
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Are you genuinely stressed, worried, or afraid of the future?
Who isn’t? Here’s how to keep going no matter what.
If you are going through something, and who isn’t? And you feel a little confused, like one day, you’re a total rockstar making your dreams come true, and the next, on the verge of tears hiding under the covers, let yourself feel it.
You’re not a mess; it’s normal for your confidence to ebb and flow in the best of times, but with so much change thrust upon us — hello pandemic life and great resignation and market crash — you can feel your feelings without letting them derail you.
Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Stop looking so far out.
Everything seems paralyzing when you take it on all on at once. How can you objectively evaluate your career, for example, if you feel pressure to pay off your mortgage, fully fund three kids’ college savings plans, and your retirement account?
Working harder is the answer to every question when you take financial responsibility for your family for the rest of your life on any given Tuesday.
But when you focus on your day-to-day, quality of life, happiness, relationships, and fulfillment take top billing. Don’t be so busy taking care of the future that you miss the magic of today.
If you’re a planner, try to formalize the process to a quarterly or annual event. Set time in your calendar for your big stress bombs to go off then, and in the meantime, let it go, savor the moment, and iterate to your best life.
Make micro-commitments, take baby steps, and do the things in real-time that help you love your life now and enjoy your time each day.
It’s like gratitude; once you measure the good, it’s hard to fixate on the bad. When your days are filled with love and contentment, the future feels less scary. You can remind yourself that tomorrow will be full of good days too.
