Week 390 (brendan@brendanbarca.com)

Here's your weekly dose of Fuel Your Mind Friday where I share business building ideas, lifestyle design hacks, and inspirational content to help you thrive in your work and find purpose in your life.

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PSA: My wife, Pema Sherpa, and I have another blog called The Mindful Minute! Check it out.

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HOW TO OVERCOME FUTURE-FOCUSED ANXIETY

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Four years ago I found myself at the helm of a rapidly growing business. After years of struggling to try to make money on my own, 2020 proved to be my breakout year. I made more money that year than I ever had before and helped launch a second business with my then girlfriend (now wife), Pema.

The problem? I wasn’t content. As the new year began, I was anxious and overwhelmed. Irrational questions ran through my mind.

What if last year was a fluke?

How can I make more money again this year?

I quickly fell into the trap of racing against myself. And worse, I became obsessed with my future without showing any appreciation for my present situation or past accomplishments.

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Being future-obsessed wasn’t new for me. Years in sales and youth sports baked this mentality into my mind. It was always about winning the next sale or the next game. This kept me striving, and no doubt has been a part of any success I’ve had, but it’s also taken its toll on my mental health.

Even now, each work day I find myself struggling to maintain my anxiety around the next sale. It’s during moments like these, that I find myself needing to pause and reframe my mind before moving on.

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Last year, Pema and I met a friend of hers for coffee in Kathmandu. Sometime before I finished my cappuccino this topic of my future-focused anxiety came up.

“It hits me especially hard on Monday morning,” I said.

Pema’s friend, a native to Nepal, wrinkled his nose. I could see from his facial expression that this wasn’t a problem we had in common.

“I think I have an idea that’ll help. It’s something my father used to tell me when I was in school. Want to hear it?”

“Sure. Of course.”

“The future and present are linked together on the same chain, he’d say. If you’re doing your best now, your future will take care of itself. Trust the links.”

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Since hearing this tip, I’ve thought about it in relation to my own life. If I look backwards on my chain, I can see how each link led to where I am now. There’s a clear relationship.

So, to ditch my future-focused anxiety, what I need to try to do is focus on my present action. And as long as my action is sound, the future links will fall in line. While I didn’t have this insight back in 2021, it's something I've been trying to use ever since this conversation in Kathmandu.

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If you struggle with being future-obsessed, then this mindset shift may help you too. Your past, present, and future are linked together on the same chain. Look at how your past adds up to your present circumstances.

To create a great future, work on doing your best now. The future links will take care of themselves.

Trust the links.

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Thanks for subscribing,

- Brendan

​Let's connect on LinkedIn!

​brendanbarca.com​

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Don't miss our newest creation, The Mindful Minute -> ​Check it out here!