Worry vs. Planning

Worry vs. Planning by Annie King

I don’t know about you but when we get to March, I kind of wipe my forehead and blow out a long sigh of relief.  I do understand that bad weather can still come in March, but it just feels like we are closer to spring.  It has been a relatively mild winter and for that I am grateful.  We have had our usual share of gray days but there have been a few where the sun has managed to peek through all those clouds.

What this time of year usually means for me is it is time to start thinking about our garden and my flowerpots.  I have spiral notebook that I write down how many plants we purchased, where we planted them and any notes I have for the next year.  I like to get this notebook out and look at what we planted each year.  I have been working to take better notes so that I will be able to see what worked and what didn’t.  There was a note from last year to put more room between tomato plants in our very small garden so we can get to the tomatoes more easily harvest those beautiful, juicy, sweet yet savory end of summer delights.  As Jen Hatmaker might say, the deliciousness of freshly harvested tomatoes is proof that God loves us.

Now is the time for planning, for planting seeds inside, for reading through seed catalogs, for making rough sketches of your flower beds and allowing your imagination to take flight. And planning can be a very helpful coping strategy for managing anxiety.  Rather than worry over our uncertain futures we can make plans and do what we can to be prepared.  Think about this way.  If I am feeling anxious about how to pay for an upcoming vacation or even my plants for the garden.  I can be filled with my worry, or I can start a fund either in my savings account or in an old peanut butter jar and start putting away money in each week.  When I actually do something, my anxiety begins to wane.

I could worry about it raining during the week of my summer vacation. Or I can pack clothes, shoes, jackets, and an umbrella.  I can spend some time online looking at museums, shopping, and other indoor activities near my vacation destination and have a plan B ready should it be needed, and my anxiety starts to relax a bit.

Next time you find yourself worried or anxious about something ask yourself, “Is there anything I can do?”  If not then let it go, worry doesn’t change anything and doesn’t make anything better, but if there is something you can do, do it.  You will be surprised at how this helps.  Someone once said, “Do the worst first.”  If you are dreading a phone call, don’t put it off.  You will think about it all day and it will keep you feeling anxious.  If you go ahead and make that call first thing, you can take it off your worry list and you will feel better.

So, this March as you plan and prepare for the bounty of summer’s end, remember if you are anxious about anything, see if you can separate the planning from the worry and do something. And if there is something you have to do that is making you anxious, do it first.

Happy Planning!