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Reducing office worry by writing it down

Question: I’ve spent the past week worrying about a situation at work. It seems like any decision that I make could very well be the wrong one. I’ve worried myself sick for a week now, and I haven’t been able to make a decision. What can I do to make the right decision?

Answer: Sometimes making no decision is worse than making the wrong decision. Many times you just need to make a firm decision about something and you will feel much better. Here are a few tips on how to stop worrying and make a decision.

• Get all the facts. Write down exactly what you are worrying about. Writing it down it can help you look at the problem differently.

• Analyze the facts. Think about the possible responses or solutions to the facts. Don’t forget to think about ramifications of each option. You should write them down as well.

• Arrive at a decision. Decide what is the best possible solution and action. Weight your options and pick a direction.

• Act on the decision. Begin immediately to act on the decision. This will put you in control of handling the stressful situation. It is amazing how the stress diminishes when we simply begin moving in a direction.

(Michael Crom writes the Success Coach column. He is executive vice president of Dale Carnegie Training. For advice on work issues, visit e-mail carnegiecoach@dalecarnegie.com.)