Worrying Before The Wheel Starts

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A business executive with a weakness for roulette discovered a transformative insight while gambling in Las Vegas. Observing fellow players, he noticed they worried after placing their bets—when nothing could be done—rather than before, when careful consideration might actually help. "If they want to worry, or be concerned, or figure odds, the time to do that is before the decision is made," he realized. "After the bets are placed and the wheel starts turning—you might as well relax and enjoy it."

Drawing on William James's wisdom to "dismiss absolutely all responsibility and care about the outcome" once execution begins, the executive applied this principle to his business decisions. "I would do all my worrying, all my forebrain thinking, before a decision was made," he explained, "and after making a decision and setting the wheels in motion, I would dismiss all responsibility about the outcome." The result? "I not only feel better, sleep better, and work better, but my business is running much smoother."