Are your ‘what if’s’ in the past or for the future? Do you cling to the past and ‘what might have been’? Or are your what if’s option thinking for the future? It really does make a difference. And your experience with previous what if’s do tend to mark your attitude for future what if’s.
For me, the ‘what if’s’ in life go along with my approach to decision making – option planning. I do focus on options and their ramification. Actually it’s a behavior that I quite enjoy because it is mind sharpening. What if”s are creative problem solving. Do remember that you use what if’s to generate alternatives for your current issue/problem/assignment/etc.
What if’s should never be viewed as… if only’s. We sabotage ourselves with if only’s. And actually, unless it is possible to go back to square one and start again, the dynamics have undoubtedly changed and it’s necessary to look at the situation with new eyes. As has been said often, the only constant is change so look at what has changed and how the situation looks now.
Your experience with past what if’s do tend to influence how you look at current what if’s. But again, don’t let previous experience make you wary (when you’ve had a negative experience) or cocky (if you’ve had a good experience). What if’s is a tool, a way of looking at life and determining the next steps.
