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Many of you may remember MAD Magazine and the words of Alfred E. Newman. While worrying has been part of the human psyche forever, it seems to be coming up more often these days, given the pandemic, political divides, and everything else we read and hear in the media.

Business leaders are not exempt from worry, and to certain degree, that is a good thing. Worry can keep us on our toes and ensure we do what we must do. But can too much worrying be bad? Absolutely!

Here’s a simple example. I was worried about writing this BLOG. It began about a week after I posted my last one. I knew that I would have to come up with a subject, and then put together my thoughts. This worry was justified, and candidly, it kept me thinking about it at least once a day until I came up with the topic and made some rough notes. At that point, my worry on this subject ended, but then cropped up again a few days ago. That prompted me to sit down at my computer and write the first pass on what you’re reading now.

So far, this type of worry was not a bad thing. Here’s where it could have crossed the line. Had I worried who would read this, or if people would think it was worthy of their time, that would have been an issue and counterproductive. Afterall, I can’t control those things, so why worry.

As a business coach, clients discuss their worries all the time. In most cases, just talking about their concerns and some of the worst-case scenarios, seems to be a great first step to putting things in perspective. By the way, in most cases, the worst things never do happen.

So, some worry is good and can help keep you on track. Too much worry can be harmful to you and toxic to those close to you. Sort out what worries you. While I know telling someone not to worry doesn’t work, I do recommend you isolate those things you can’t control into a place where you’re not allowing them to control you. Deal with the issues you can impact and do your best to make decisions and take actions that will allow you to ultimately put these in your past.

Stephen