Worrying Is Not the Same as Preparing

Worrying feels productive. You're thinking about the problem — surely that counts for something. But worry without a plan produces nothing except more anxiety and an exhausted mind. Preparing has a structure: there's an action, a decision, an endpoint. When your thinking about a problem doesn't lead to any of those things, you're not preparing — you're rehearsing anxiety. The question to ask yourself is simple: "Am I figuring something out right now, or am I just going in circles?" If it's circles, stop. If there's something to do — write it down and do it.