Taking actions, even small ones, makes us feel less helpless in the face of problems, big and small.
This technique can be applied to any problem. Here are the steps:
- Do not immediately imagine the worst outcome: distinguish the “possible” from the “probable.”
- Identify your specific worry or goal as carefully as possible.
- Think about what steps, or series of actions might lead to reaching your goal.
- Find ways to reach or work toward your goal.
What about a situation that seems out of your hands? There are many people who are unhappy with the election results, and some are paralyzed with fear. They feel helpless to act, having done so (voted) and failed. This is logical if you imagine only the worst-case scenario. However, if you identify an attainable goal, as well as steps that might make a difference in reaching it, you will feel better. Let’s say you decide that you want to see the other party take back Congress in two years. There are many things you can do to work toward that aim. Taking actions, even small ones, makes us feel less helpless in the face of problems, big and small.
My father was the first person I heard use the phrase “You can’t get there from here,” to underscore the uselessness of saying a problem is not solvable—or is too difficult to be approached from any angle. In fact, we can get anywhere we want to be. The route may be difficult and long, but it always starts with one step.
