re: WHAT IF vs WHY NOT

Are you a person who defaults to thinking “what if” or “why not”? This is an important question because one is often rooted in caution and the other in confidence. Well isn’t caution important, you may ask? Yes it is, but consider this first:

Both questions are based on assumptions about the future. The difference is which future does your brain default to: holding back in case of risk, difficulty, and fear; or leaning forward with curiosity, resilience, and possibility.

“WHAT IF" ASSUMES YOU'LL BE POWERLESS IF THINGS GO WRONG.

What if I fail? What if this doesn't work? What if I regret it?

“WHY NOT” ASSUMES YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT AS YOU GO.

Why not try? Why not explore? Why not see what happens?

Think of it like this: “What if” thinking is like using the brakes on your car. It's an important part of the process, but if you always keep your foot down you'll get nowhere at all.

Being a person who can slow down to consider a situation and then ask “why not” comes from a place of confidence and belief in yourself that whatever challenges you face you'll be able to figure it out. And that's what really moves you forward to achieve your goals.

Most people aren't stuck because they don't know what to do.

They're stuck because they keep deciding not to try.

Let's acknowledge what patterns might be keeping you in one way of thinking or the other.

“WHAT IF” might feel smarter if caution has been rewarded in the past. “WHY NOT” can feel reckless, especially if you value responsibility. 

Maybe you've learned that safety comes from control. If this is true for you then  “WHY NOT” might also threaten your identity. If you try and fail, what does that mean about you? If you try and succeed, there's uncertainty about what might change. 

You might believe that the choice is between being safe or taking a risk, but what if the choice is really staying where you are or letting yourself grow?

Both questions are part of making wise, measured decisions. I encourage you to pay attention to how you default and what the alternatives might be!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• What identity are you protecting when you choose what if over why not?

• What has what if held you back from?

• Where have you already paid the price of not trying?

• If it was just an experiment, where would “why not” seem easiest to practice?

  
  

TAKE ACTION STRATEGY:

"The Strategic Why Not"

1. What is one thing you've been going back and forth on?

2. Ask yourself: What is the smallest version of trying this out?

   1. Switch your mindset from “What if this goes wrong?” to “Why not try it out, even if it doesn't go perfectly?”

   2. This isn't a commitment, it's an option.

3. Afterward, ask yourself: What did I learn? Would I do that again?

I'm wishing you a week full of courage to experiment and ask yourself “why not”!