I had one of those nights last night. We have a big project we are working on here at home and then there are always other things going on. My “what-if” brain was working overtime and wouldn’t let me sleep. By 2 am I had exhausted all rational thoughts and moved into the ridiculous, but it did give me an idea for this blog.

The thing about “what-ifs” is that they either are or are not going to happen, worrying about them doesn’t change that fact. It is good to accept them as possibilities, maybe even consider alternatives should they happen, then let them go. The letting go process, for me, is to write them down along with potential solutions. Making a “what-ifs” list gives me the opportunity to see the challenges more clearly and enables me to put things aside knowing I have addressed them and can revisit should they become relevant.

Moving forward in life is not always going to be easy, smooth or predictable, but trying to outsmart the world will only give me sleepless nights and ulcers. It is also impossible to define every variable for every issue life throws at me. I create lists for work that needs to be done and, within that list, I will add my “what-ifs” column. Life may give me challenges but “what-if” I can prepare for them in advance?  I think that’s a much more useful approach to the challenges I know I will encounter and will keep my brain from circling the “what-if” drain in the middle of the night.