As I begin to work on updating my e-book, WHAT CAN GO RIGHT? The Thinking Person’s Guide to Making Good Things Happen, I’m noticing one important message that I neglected to include in the original version.
I’ve been very proud to have helped so many readers who have changed their mode of thinking after reading the e-book. Whereas they had historically been immobilized by over-thinking about what could go wrong when faced with new and uncertain challenges, many have learned to also consider what could go right before deciding upon what action to take.
I’ve always emphasized the fact that asking the question does not mean that something will go right, but the possibility of it should objectively be considered. Too many people never get around to objectively considering the possibility of success because their first impulse is to automatically go into a catastrophic thinking mode. In that way, they cheat themselves from pursuing potentially successful activities. Since the e-book was published, a few more people are treating themselves more fairly by evaluating their challenges by giving consideration to the possibility of a positive outcome.
If a person only considers the possibility of what can go right, s/he is committing the same type of faulty thinking – in reverse – as the person who indulges only in catastrophic fantasizing. Whether you are pursuing a new business venture, pursuing a home mortgage, running for office, or pursuing a romantic relationship, you enhance your chances by approaching the challenge with preparation and confidence. But that doesn’t guarantee success.
Being objective means that you have a backup plan in case things don’t go right – even though your objective analysis of the situation led you to conclude that you had a good chance of success. Part of your thinking about what can go right should be the inclusion of a Plan B – so that you don’t feel devastated or lost if Plan A doesn’t work. Having a good Plan B in place is also a good confidence booster.
Thinking about what can go right, and acting upon it, is a lot easier if you don’t feel desperate about it needing to go right.