Less anxiety is the new superpower.
In a state of anxiety, we fundamentally have four choices in tackling a task, decision or project:
1. Ignore
2. Procrastinate and defer
3. Partially complete
4. Complete
How can we better understand the psychology of execution while surrounded by anxiety?
The Lizard Brain
The most important thing to acknowledge in discussing this is our Lizard Brain. The Lizard Brain refers to the oldest part of the brain and handles our survival instincts. It operates in two modes – fight or flight.
The two choices to ignore or defer are ‘flight’ for the Lizard Brain. This is completely understandable at the moment. We have limited mental capacity and our bandwidth feels fuzzy. By ignoring or deferring a task or decision, we believe our overwhelm is reduced.
The choice to ‘partially complete’ is both ‘flight’ and ‘fight’ for the Lizard Brain. Through partial execution, you have started to address it but have not completed it. This allows you to stop beating yourself up about ignoring or deferring a decision. However, while feeling anxious or uncertain, it allows you to not be accountable for completion.
The choice to ‘complete’ is ‘fight’ for the Lizard Brain. Completion is absolute. It requires a commitment to push through ‘the work’, often without all the facts to hand. Uncertainty around completeness is challenging. After completing a task or project, you have to own the outcome – good or bad. This is why the Lizard Brain so often defaults to ignoring, deferring or partially completing.
Why Completeness is the Key
Low level priorities can be ignored. These can be easily identified.
Big decisions can be deferred in times of crisis when you do not need to make the decision now. It may be prudent where the uncertain risks associated with making a decision now are just too great. These too can be identified and parked.
Partial completion is an option when you have some aspects that can be acted on now, with more critical information to follow later. In some cases, you can start working on some aspects of a task or project, while awaiting further clarity on other elements. However, from renowned US Colonel Powell’s commentary on decision-making he stated that there are decisions that cannot be deferred or partially completed. They need to be acted on now. Powell stated that great decision-makers, pressed with the requirement to execute now, need to execute with just 40%-70% of the information required in-hand. In some situations, there is simply no time to wait for the balance of information to come to hand in order to have a more assured execution. There are many examples around business and health that require execution now.
While there are valid reasons to ignore, defer or partially complete – completeness is the key.
Completeness is The Work.
Take up the fight for completeness.
Completing tasks reduces overwhelm and anxiety.
It provides satisfaction in saying ‘I completed an action, executed a decision or finished a project’.
Completeness is the key because all you really control are your thoughts and actions.
Nothing else.
Everything else is noise.
What are you going to complete today?
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