Worry is Not Preparation

If you spend time worrying, it's likely because you believe it's preparing you or protecting you.

It's not.

There are situations where worry can be a catalyst for preparation. But worrying by itself isn't preparing you for anything.

If, for example, you want to ask your boss for a raise you might be worried they'll say no. Worry as a catalyst means you anticipate the reasons they might say no and prepare a response to them. Most of you don't do that when you worry.

You let the worry take over and stay paralyzed in fear and inaction.

Worry becomes the excuse that keeps you from preparing for and getting the thing you want because you're too scared to ask.

On the flip side, if you actually decide to go for it and ask for the raise, you'll tell yourself all of the time you spend worrying about being told no is preparing you for bad news.

It's a total lie.

The worry only makes the bad feelings last longer.

You're going to be disappointed/angry/embarrassed/frustrated by the no whether you've spent weeks worrying or no time at all.

Or they say yes and you've spent weeks tied up in knots worrying about a no that was never going to happen.

Either way the worry was needless.