How To Overcome Fears To Make Better Decisions?

What is one of the first things that crosses your mind when making an important decision? Like changing jobs or buying a house? I found that for many, there is this little voice that asks: “What if it doesn’t work?”

What if it goes terribly wrong?

And it ignites fears inside us. Fear of failure. Fear of losses. Fear of not being up to the expectations we and others place on us.

To fight these internal demons, I like an approach explained by Tim Ferriss in his 2017 TED Talk, which requires us first to consider the worst that can happen after making the decision.

If you are jumping ship and starting a new role in another company, you might see the worst outcome as not passing the probation period and becoming jobless.

If you are buying a house, maybe the worst could be your loan being refused after agreeing to the purchase. You would lose your deposit, the house and, since you gave your notice, become homeless.

Then, as we imagine the worst scenario, we ask ourselves, are there ways I can prevent this? Even slightly?

You could ensure the new job description overlaps significantly with your current one, discuss with the hiring manager and her team to ensure you would be up to speed rapidly and deliver great results.

You could get a pre-approval letter from your bank before making the deal, stating that if your financial conditions remain unchanged, they…