How One Negative Thought Positively Impacts my Life Every Day
Those are the words that dictate my future.
Every goal I set is analysed first by the question and informs my decision of whether to proceed.
It is useful to me because the antithesis of the question establishes false hope. The easiest mistake to make entrepreneurially when starting out is to populate your mind with the wonders of what if.
- What if it becomes an overwhelming success?
- What if it changes the world as we know it?
- What if I’m the next Elon Musk?
For me, the answer to each of those questions from the perspective of what if I don’t is far more pertinent and inspiring. It checks your hunger to pursue an idea even if those questions don’t have an obvious positive answer, or if those questions are your goals avoids you rushing down a dark alley.
It puts doubt in your mind and that should always be embraced. If doubt brings question of your perseverance, don’t even set off.
We all like to dream and ‘what if’ is the enabler to do so. It needn’t be rooted in reality but I believe this does us a huge disservice. To clarify, dreaming isn’t wrong. What I’m advocating is clarity of vision grounded by sensibility.
No matter how outlandish your dreams, if you can distil their essence down to an actionable route toward your goal it is no longer a what if. That’s what I am championing; a rigorously assessed thought in your mind which appreciates the actuality of your chances.
The reality of most startups is this — you are going to fail. 9 times out of 10 you are going to lose and have wasted your time.
Asking what if gives you false hope. It shows you all the reasons you will achieve without elucidating any of the reasons you won’t.
What if I don’t is different.
It’s simpler and more concise. It kills unrealistic worries dead immediately and stops you searching in the wrong direction. What if is a flashlight which identifies whether your idea has a chance. It enables you to expand your mind to think about both the negatives and the positives simultaneously without bias.
What if I don’t starts a conversation in your mind. The days of just do it are dead, our time is now too valuable to waste.
My most inspiring what if I don’t are often the same thing, but it requires a mental leap to get there.
When the answer to what if I don’t is that someone else probably will you must act.
And what if I don’t is a mindset which has permeated almost every facet of my life.
- What if I don’t go on facebook? (Do you care what a classmate from 10 years ago had for dinner?)
- What if I don’t eat as much sugar?
- What if don’t leave?
What if I don’t is a mechanism to prevent the possibility of doubt and regret. It a safety mechanism which ensures I hold myself to account for every decision I make.
Personally, my biggest mistakes have come from asking myself what if. It’s easy to be seduced by the allure of hopes and dreams in the warm glow following the birth of an idea. What if I don’t is the contraception; it is the reminder of the crying baby through the night which stops you sleeping.
What if I don’t ensures you can handle the consequences.
And consequences are the things which must always be weighed. Everything you decide has an operational cost; every time you say yes you reduce your ability to spend time and energy on the things that matter or arise in the future. What if I don’t ensure you have the time necessary to achieve the things you must.
What if ignores your current situation with view to a more exciting future, what if I don’t makes you consider the journey to get there.
Life’s hard and there are no right choices.
What if I don’t has worked for me as it has simplified my life. It has ensured I do the right things at the right times and pursued the right opportunities for the right reasons.
It has also ensured I’ve escaped burning ships before disaster.
No other single question has ensured my time is spent most efficiently on achieving successful outcomes.
What if I don’t is the last check before commitment to an idea fully. It is what enables me to commit completely to any and all decisions I have.
What if you don’t?
Here’s What the Question Inspired
I’m building Cleeyk.
Save Money: Why do you spend £90/£120 a month on a 12-month contract for Satellite/Cable TV when your neighbour spends £22/$30 and can cancel whenever they want? Ask the same question for every recurring expense you have.
Save Time: Why do you have to waste time renewing your car or Home insurance, Mobile Phone Contract, Gas and Electric provider every year when all your information remains the same?
Cleeyk is the solution. It shows you how much you could save based on what others are paying, then autonomously negotiates the reduction of your costs on your behalf. It also renews your car & home insurance, mobile phone contracts, gas and electric provider at the lowest possible rate without you having to do anything aside from confirm acceptance with a single click. You simply sit back and save.
