“Prioritize peace. If it nurtures, calms, and revitalizes you, make time for it. If it stresses, distresses, or depresses you, reconsider it.” – Lori Deschene

An astounding 95% of people in North America go to bed or wake up worrying about something. Every. Single. Day. It’s probably not too hard to believe, honestly. How many nights do you fall asleep stressing about all the things you didn’t accomplish during the day? How many mornings do you wake up feeling uneasy about work?

Probably too many.

You likely spend time at work worrying about things at home, and when you’re at home worrying about things related to work. And there are a million other troubling thoughts in between.

But here’s the kicker:

  • 40% of what we worry about will never, ever happen.
  • 30% of what we worry about has already happened.
  • 12% of our worries are needless concerns about our health.
  • And 10% are petty, miscellaneous worries that don’t really matter anyway.

That leaves 8%. EIGHT PERCENT of what we worry about is actually legitimate.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we took this 92% and used that energy to be productive. To create. To spread positivity.

Of course, that’s always easier said than done. Sometimes I still find myself stuck in a spiral of worry when I should be getting to sleep early. That’s how it goes…you let yourself have one negative thought, and then pretty soon that thought becomes two, then four, and it exponentially multiplies while you toss and turn in bed.

It happens to the best of us.

That’s why I created the HERO formula. HERO stands for Hush, Evaluate, Ritualize, and Own. Let’s break it down.

HUSH the noise and the chatter to reconnect with what you truly want.

Ask yourself:

  • What do you wholeheartedly believe in?
  • What are your non-negotiables?
  • What are you willing or not willing to do to get from here to there?

What you tolerate, you worry about. If you don’t set clearly-defined boundaries in your life, you will find yourself tolerating much more than you’d like to. And you’ll spend a lot more time worrying. So you might say, “Yes, I can donate money for the school fundraiser! But, no, I will not bake 250 cookies to sell that day.” Set boundaries and make it clear what you are, and are not willing to do.

EVALUATE what and who you are tolerating in your life.

This is the next step to setting boundaries:

  • Are you tolerating a jammed packed calendar every day?
  • Do you have many high-maintenance clients who are dimming your light?
  • WHAT or WHO is causing you more grey hair than it’s worth, and what difficult conversation do you need to have?

It’s important to take the time to figure out exactly what things and people are making you worry, and evaluate whether they’re worth your energy because time is our only non-renewable resource. Time is precious.

RITUALIZE the habits that bring your best YOU to life.

Elizabeth Gilbert, Michael Jordan, Arianna Huffington, Richard Branson… What do they have in common? (Apart, of course, from being game changers and trailblazers).

They all have a few simple daily rituals to help them be and stay at their best, like:

1. Not working past 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon.
2. Sleeping 8 hours a night.
3. Having daily inspiration time (AKA “me time”).

Successful people know that their performance is a direct result of their daily rituals. You don’t need to have complicated rituals, but they need to be consistent. Maybe you get to bed a little earlier every night, or you take an hour every afternoon to read a book. Think of the ways you can change your habits to set yourself up for success.

But, keep in mind that not all rituals have a positive impact on your life. How many times have you woken up and immediately started looking at emails? That little habit alone is proven to reduce your performance by 27%. Add that to the other 92% of useless worry, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster!

What do you need to do on a regular basis to feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled? And, most importantly, what are you tolerating that is keeping you from doing it?

OWN what you stand for…it’s not enough to know it… you’ve got to own it.

Own your non-negotiables. Own the fact that you are responsible for what you worry about and that you will no longer tolerate the things, people, or habits that cause you to worry.

Your peace of mind is your choice. It requires commitment, and a lot of guts to stand up for yourself. It’s never easy to say “No” to someone, let alone someone we love. It takes a lot of dedication to drag yourself to the gym after a long day of work.

It’s not easy to learn to treat ourselves with as much care as we treat everyone else.
But, it’s incredibly rewarding once you start. You should be your number one priority always.

I’ll never forget what my mom told me when I was just nine years old: “Pauvre p’tite fille. Don’t be afraid to speak your truth! If you can’t say no to what you don’t want, you’ll never have the time and energy for what you do want.”

Worrying is useless. It’s like trying to solve algebra by chewing bubble gum. You’re better off harnessing that energy and time for the things that really do matter to you. You’ll be much happier and more successful as a result.

ISABELLE MERCIER TURCOTTE
Brand Strategist & Business Growth Catalyst
Co-Founder/CEO of LeapZone Strategies & Host of LeapTV.com
Isabelle Mercier Turcotte is a ‘no-nonsense’ dynamo, born to catapult passionate entrepreneurs to build impactful brands, businesses and lives. As one of North America’s Top Small Business Influencers, best-selling author, TEDx speaker with over 2 Million views, and TV show host, Isabelle’s sole purpose is to empower change and growth. To work with her, please visit leapzonestrategies.com. You can find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leapzone/.