Achieving	goals
Actionable	step:
	
Review	expectations;	are	they	too	high,	too	low?
Parenting
Actionable	step:
	
Read	parenting	book;	take	parenting	class
Health	of	self
Actionable	step:
	
Get	yearly	medical	physical	with	blood	work
Health	of	others
Actionable	step:
	
Work	to	accept	uncertainty;	I	can	only	control	so	much
Relationships
Actionable	step:
	
Read	relationship	self-help	book
Diet/
	
exercise
Actionable	step:
	
Meet	with	nutritionist;	start	walking	twice	a	week
Self-image
Actionable	step:
	
Build	self-esteem	through	volunteering;	go	to	weekly	psychotherapy
General	safety	of	the	world/community	(politics,	terrorism,	environment)
Actionable	step:
	
Volunteer	for	political	candidate	who	espouses	my	beliefs
If	mentally	replaying	worries	made	you	feel	better,	you	wouldn’t	keep
hashing	out	the	same	old	sets	of	worries.	Shift	your	attention	from	specific
worried	thoughts	to	considering	how	you	could	take	an	actionable	step	toward
improving	the	larger	issue(s).
STRATEGY:	PROBABLE	VS.	POSSIBLE
OUTCOMES
When	we	are	caught	in	anxiety	quicksand,	each	and	every	worrisome	thought
may	seem	acute	and	reasonable.	Stress	hormones	are	released,	anxiety	builds,
and	it	becomes	difficult	to	distinguish	the