Stinkin’ Thinkin’

Your Friday Finance Break

(For those new to the list: Every Friday we take a break from the numbers and talk about founder mental health. Enjoy!)

When I have a tough problem I can’t solve, I am the absolute worst. 

• I’ve thought of every possibility

• I’m at a complete wall

• There is no one who can help me

• Your idea won’t work

• I am completely screwed

• This is the worst thing ever

• And I’ll never find my way out. 

There’s a technical name in psychology for this: Catastrophizing.

But my favorite term for it comes from my mother

(Who has dealt with my know-it-all death spiral moments since I was a tiny Pearl)

She calls it Stinkin’ Thinkin’. 

Here’s why this term is awesome: 

Thinking this way stinks, and if you think this way in your startup, its stench pervades the entire organization.

This thinking stinks because it’s rotten. It’s a sign your brain isn’t fresh anymore and you need to take it outside, air it out, and give it a break. 

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ specifies that this problem is about thoughts. Sure, bad things may be happening. But if you’re having Stinkin’ Thinkin’, the problem isn’t really about external factors - it’s about what’s happening inside of you.

So if you’re up against a wall,

If you’ve thought of every option,

If there are no good answers,

If no one can help,

It might be time to check yourself;

Are you really up sh*t creek?

…Or do your thoughts just stink?

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