Don’t Think About the Worst Case Scenario

The worst case scenario is an idea in decision making in which the planner thinks about the worst possible outcome that can happen given the circumstances. While it helps in some cases, it doesn’t help in the vast majority of cases. When worry wins over confidence, you make subpar decisions.

Therefore, it is in your best interest to not think about the worst case scenario and move forward with your goals. If you dwell too much on what could go wrong, you’ll miss out on what could go right. Instead of focusing on “what if it doesn’t work out?” think about “what if it does work out?”

Remember that the glass is half full and half empty. There are very rare situations in which the glass is completely empty. Complete emptiness is the conclusion that our minds come to when we think about the worst way that something will turn out. That’s illogical and irrational.

When we think about the worst possible scenario, we are making decisions based on fear. Based on emotions that aren’t factually correct but rather are just emotional. Fear was an evolutionary advantage. However, it is not as relevant today as it was back then.

We don’t have to be afraid that there is a wild bear around the corner to demolish the entire village. We don’t have to be afraid that we’re going to run out of food any time soon. There’s a perfectly good restaurant just around the corner for you to visit.

Fear is not as relevant today as it was before.

What is the Worst Case Scenario?

The worst case scenario is a build up in your head about the worst possible outcome that can happen from a given circumstance. You believe that you are damaged goods when you get fired and that there’s no company out there that will hire you.

A company fired me from an internship before, but I’m doing just fine. Plenty of other companies hired me for their internship program afterwards. This line of thinking isn’t based on actual facts but based on our irrational emotions.

We know we’ll find another job but we feel uneasy. With enough effort spent on networking, honing your interviewing skills, and polishing your resume, it’s unlikely that we’ll spend our lives without a job. When push comes to shove, we can always get a Barista job to help pay our bills.

One way that you can avoid the worst case scenario is to SMASH that social share button and post to your favorite social media for your friends to see! Maybe you have a friend or a connection in your network that is a worry-wart that needs to read something like this today.

We can better everyone’s lives together.

Honestly, I used to think in this way as well. The biggest motivating factor for me was fear. The fear that my parents immigrated to the United States for nothing. I was always afraid that I would let them down which is why I tried so hard in college.

However, fear is never a great motivator for your individual day to day decisions. When you question whether you should apply to that job that requires a 5 year minimum experience requirement, you should go ahead and do it anyway. Let them reject you, don’t reject yourself. Take the chance.

Why do We Think About the Worst Case Scenario?

We think about the worst case scenario because it was an evolutionary advantage. Underestimating your opponent was a surefire way to end up as food for vultures. This line of thinking never left our mindset. We naturally love a margin of safety and error in our day to day life.

However, we evolved since then. We no longer have to physically fight or gather and grow our own food in order to survive. We just have to give value to the company we’re working for, get paid, and buy our own food.

While respecting your foe is an admirable trait, there’s less opponents to deal with these days. Even if you do have opponents, there are always other options to take. If you are competing with your colleagues for a promotion, you can always go to another company if you don’t get it.

That’s the great news. Thank goodness the current information economy values are knowledge more than physical strength. Some physical strength are genetic, as well. Therefore, we compete in a world where it’s based on our effort and our ability to understand complex concepts to use as advantage.

Therefore, it’s not as relevant to think about the worst case scenario all the time. There is always another option that we have to fulfill our needs. There are plenty of resources available for all of us, even though it is limited.

However low your starting point is, there’s always a way forward for you to achieve your goals. It just takes some time and effort to get there. Below are some common ways that you think about the worst possible cases.

Common Worst Case Scenario Thoughts

1) During Negotiations

You hesitate to negotiate because there’s something in your gut telling you that something’s going to go wrong.

The most common rebuttal you’ll hear about your apprehension to negotiate is “the worst they could do is say no”. That’s false. Objectively evaluate the situation. The worst they could do is to pull the offer. I had an offer with a Big Four consulting company and my professor told me to ask for more pay.

I told him I was hesitant. He smiled and quipped, “what’s the worst that could happen?” I immediately replied that they could pull the offer. It took him a long time to recover from that quip.

However, while it is factually correct that the worst case scenario is that they could pull the offer, it is unlikely to happen. The only times that I’ve even heard of that happening is when the candidate asked for double the offered pay, for example.

Even if you ask for 50% more pay, remember that they’re the ones who chose you to come work for them. It’s more likely that they’ll try to negotiate you down from your price to one that fits more of their budget.

2) With Yourself

We all have those days where we think we said something wrong. As a result, we let it stick in our minds throughout the day. The most common times we think about these moments is right when we’re about to go to bed. Our brain starts using the most peaceful time we have in the day to think about what could have gone better.

Thoughts include “oh man, I’m the worst person, I’m such a horrible person”. If you had these thoughts, don’t worry, everyone’s had them, including me. There was one date I’ve been on where the girl wanted to pay for coffee and I felt bad because I had no romantic interest in her.

I think about what a bad person I was then but then I remember that I didn’t ask her to do that. She did it of her own free will. Even though the thoughts run through my head from time to time, I feel a little less and a little less as time passes.

We care about ourselves quite a bit and so we can’t help but think about the worst of us if the opportunity arrises.

3) Randomly

Random events such as when you hear a soft bristle at 11:15pm when you’re snuggled up in bed immediately drives you to think about the worst case scenario. You immediately think that someone broke into your house. However, what’s more likely is that tree leaves are scratching your windows because of a strong wind current.

Don’t let fear drive your decisions and thinking process. It was helpful when it was an evolutionary advantage. However, it’s making us take a step back or stagnate in the modern world. These days, the ones who employ overly protective measures are the ones who are missing out.

The ones who don’t miss out on new experiences because they’re not too afraid of doing something new. The world is a vastly huge place and one new experience is not such a big deal that you should avoid. That is actually holding you back.

Did you know that Jia Jiang did a 100-day rejection challenge? He met amazing people and had unique experiences at the end of the challenge. Experiences he never thought he’d have. He didn’t care about rejection because the worst he could get was a no.

That’s the right line of thinking.

How to Combat the Worst Case Scenario Mindset

So now that you know when you think about the worst case scenarios, let’s explore how you can get out of this mindset. Life isn’t all that serious and we rarely have life or death situations. It’s necessary to get out of this line of thinking.

1) Reach Financial Independence

The number one way to avoid the worst case scenario mindset is to be financially independent. When you have all the money in the world, nothing really bothers you. You spent $10 today on food? Who cares? You’re still going to stay alive and afford food the next day as well.

When you reach financial independence, you no longer care about layoffs. It’s just another day that passes by. Instead of being afraid that you can’t get another job, you start to think about what you could do with all that free time! Financial independence is a wonderful spot to be in to avoid thinking in that mindset.

Save and invest as much money as you possibly can. If the money coming in is not exceeding the money coming out on a consistent basis, there’s something you need to fix.

2) Just Let Time Pass

Life is unsure when we are between the ages of 18 – 30. We have the most uncertainty then. We don’t know if we got into a career we like doing, we don’t know when we’re going to be married, and so on. The amount of uncertainty we have is the highest then.

Therefore, you just let time pass and live to fight another day for more years. As more variables become known like your career, romantic interests, and your housing situation, you start to feel comfort. You feel security that there is no risk anymore.

Once there is no more risk, we literally cannot think in worst case scenario thoughts because you are actually living it. When there is no more risk, reality is actually the worst possible situation you can be in. When you are comfortable with the reality you created for yourself, you have comfort.

There’s nowhere to go but up.

3) Objectively Evaluate Whether It’s the Worst Case Scenario

Sometimes, it actually is that bad to the point where we should actually worry and stress. However, if you can’t objectively evaluate that from a point of neutrality, that means you’re letting emotions drive your decisions. Evaluate your life when you are relaxed in your couch and have the mental clarity to look at your situation.

When you truly can’t see the worst case scenario happening, then just take a step back, let go, and stop thinking about it. Often we think about what the worst things that can happen when we are stressed, our biological rhythms are out of sync, or when we are in a time crunch.

That’s not looking at it from a point of objectivity. That’s looking at it when you aren’t in the right headspace to see the situation for what it is instead of thinking about what could happen. Instead of thinking about what could happen, think about what did happen then work your way from there.

4) Ask Yourself “Does it Really Matter?”

If the worst case scenario won’t affect you five years from now, don’t even spend five seconds thinking about it. When I was in college, one of my best friends talked about how he felt bad that he got a bad grade because he didn’t study. I reminded him that it’s not going to matter five years from now.

It’s been approximately seven years since that day happened and he hasn’t even brought it up since. I don’t even think he remember that it even happened. When it’s not going to impact your life five years from today, there’s no use even giving it five seconds of your precious time.

When there are long-lasting consequences, then it’s not a bad idea to invest time, effort, and attention into it. However, few situations put us in this position. That job you didn’t get or that promotion you were passed over for isn’t really going to matter.

There’s always time to make more money or to get a promotion that propels your status forward. There’s plenty of other opportunities for you out there, as well.

5) Remember the Times You Thought this Way

Do you remember the last time that the worst case scenario would happen and that the world was going to end? It’s been some time since that happened. Did the world actually end? Things such as the coronavirus pandemic, the financial crisis, heartbreaks with your fiance, and more.

Did the world really fall apart? Or is it the classic case of the media manipulating your emotions so they can get more clicks to their website? You survived all of that and more and you’ll continue to survive more bad things. I lost close to $90,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

I thought my net worth was going to go to zero! The worst it went to was where it was in March 2019. Afterwards, it hit all time highs one day after another. I don’t really even think about those days anymore. It was relevant when it was happening to me then but it’s not as impactful to me now.

Time makes everything better.

6) Get Busy

Winston Churchill famously said “I’m too busy. I have no time for worry”. Immerse yourself in things that is important to you to keep your mind off the stress, worry, and anxiety. When you literally don’t have time in your schedule to think about anything else but to achieve your goals, then you can get busy focusing on your goals.

Think about the last time that you were very busy. Did you really think about anything else besides the next things that you have to do? Chances are, you didn’t. You probably had to finish one thing after another. When you take your mind off things that adds no value but just stress and anxiety, magic happens.

Get busy doing things that you have to be productive on. Then everything else will turn out the way that things are supposed to. When you have the luxury of thinking through things, your mind wanders off to the worst things that can happen. Don’t give it that chance. Overload it with productivity.

7) Don’t Live in the Future, Live in the Present

Have you ever asked yourself “what if something bad happens in the future?” Well… The great thing is that it’s not happening today. Stop trying to predict or time travel. Human ingenuity took us to places that we never thought was possible. However, two things that we are literally unable to do is accurately predict the future or time travel.

If it’s not happening today, don’t worry about it. The idea to preempt any bad things that can happen in the future isn’t the best strategy. Instead of worrying about worst case scenarios happening in the future, worry about the good things that are happening today.

Live in the now. You miss important opportunities that are given to you in the present when you look too far into the future. Don’t look so far ahead that you lose sight of the opportunity right that are in arm’s length.

8) Accept the Worst Case Scenario

Whatever your worst case scenario is, you’ve lived through bad things before and you’ll continue to survive through it all. Learn to accept it. Once you accept the worst possible scenario that can happen to you, that fear loses power over you. You can start to move on and look towards the future.

When you make peace with the bad things that are about to happen, it doesn’t feel that bad once it actually happens. When you’re going for a vaccine, you don’t think that it’s going to be the most wonderful experience of your life. You accept that your arm will hurt for a short amount of time.

Then once it actually happens, you just think “that’s it?” and move on. Acceptance is a crucial skill that people overlook very often. When the company rejected me for a job that I really wanted, I already accepted the worst case scenario of rejection.

It was easy to move on after that. Onto the next opportunity.

9) Improve from the Worst Case Scenario

If it’s actually the worst case scenario, by definition, it literally can only go up from there. There isn’t anything else that can be lower than that scenario you’re thinking of. Therefore, it becomes easy to think of ways to mitigate and improve from that scenario.

Now that you’re starting from the bottom of the bottom, it isn’t difficult to improve from it. If you lost a lot of money with investing in broad market index funds, then the next step is to continue to hold and consistently invest in the market. (I’m not a licensed professional, please do your own research, this isn’t investing advice).

If you still have a job, then that’s even better. You’re making cash flow in a time when you aren’t supposed to be making cash flow. You not only avoided losses but there are opportunities to gain as well. There’s more creative ways to improve from the worst case scenario.

You can start a side hustle and start to bring in passive income. You are only limited by your imagination on how you can improve from the worst possible situation.

Fear Shouldn’t Drive Your Worst Case Scenario

When we think of the worst case scenario, we often let fear, anxiety, stress, and worry cloud our judgement and our next action step. That shouldn’t be the case. When we do that, we start thinking of scenarios in which it’s even worse than the objectively worst possible case. That’s no good.

Take the emotions out of your decision making process. Emotions are an evolutionary advantage that was passed down from us through generations. However, it has the highest potential of negatively impacting us. We make our best decisions when when we aren’t under a time clock or a deadline.

Stress and anxiety isn’t the best course of action to accurately talk about what the worst thing that can happen is. Therefore, you shouldn’t let it drive your forecast of it. It’s not the ideal course of action to take for almost all situations.

Unfortunately, stress, worry, and anxiety are an unavoidable part of our lives. With fierce global competition, there’s always someone out there who will do whatever it takes to take your spot away from you. Therefore, it’s more advantageous than ever to manage these emotions the right way.

Otherwise, we are not even living in reality but an alternate universe completely created by our emotions. Don’t live in an imaginary world where the future is bleak and the world is ending. The world is not going to end and we are going to keep living like we’ve always done.

Just imagine how many people got rich from selling you the idea of Y2K that’ll eventually lead to world doom. People don’t care about your well being, they just want to get rich from your imaginations running wild on the worst case scenario!

How to Combat the Worst Case Scenario Mindset List:

• Reach financial independence
• Just let time pass
• Objectively evaluate whether it’s the worst case scenario
• Ask yourself, “does it really matter?”
• Remember the times you felt this way
• Get busy
• Don’t live in the future, live in the present
• Accept the worst case scenario
• Improve from the worst case scenario