1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:05,359 Speaker 1: I want you to think back to something scary, intimidating, 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 1: something you're signed up for and thought was a great 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: idea in the moment, but that grew more and more 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: unnerving as it grew closer. If you asked friends for 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: advice as the big day crept even closer, they probably 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: asked you the classic question, what's the worst that could happen, 7 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: which generally isn't that helpful and only makes us think 8 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: about some really bad things that could actually happen. Michelle 9 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: Poehler has a much better question for you to ask 10 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: when something's scaring you, and I share it in this 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: extract from my new book time Wise, which is available 12 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: wherever you buy books. My name is doctor amanthe Imber. 13 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: I'm an organizational psychologist and the founder of behavioral science 14 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: consultancy Inventium, and this is how I work a show 15 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: about how to help you do your best work. Think 16 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: back to a time when you tried to do something 17 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: that scared you. Perhaps you have to give a high 18 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: stakes presentation in front of a big group of people. 19 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: Maybe you worked up the courage to ask your boss 20 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: for a pay rise. Perhaps you jumped out of a plane, 21 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: hopefully with a parachute, or maybe you were one of 22 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: the participants in the spider experiment I described on page 23 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty six. If you spoke to someone 24 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: about how you were feeling in the lead up to 25 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: the event, chances are a well meeting friend said to you, 26 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: what's the worst that could happen? Michelle Poehler has heard 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: this advice hundreds of times. When she was doing her 28 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: masters in branding back in twenty fifteen, she started a 29 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: project to conquer one hundred fears in one hundred days. 30 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: Her master's project turned into a global movement that impacted 31 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: millions of people and received coverage on NBC's Today Show, 32 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: Fox News, CBS, and CNN, to name a few. When 33 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: Pola was in the middle of her project conquering fears 34 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: such as performing stand up comedy, cliff diving, and swimming 35 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: with sharks, people often tried to help her by asking 36 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: what's the worst that could happen? Well, Pola could concede 37 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,239 Speaker 1: that perhaps she wouldn't die, there were many other worst 38 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: case scenarios this question would bring to mind. Maybe I 39 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: won't die, but I will embarrass myself. I might fail, 40 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: I might get rejected, I might hurt my ego and 41 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: my self esteem. There are many things that can go 42 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: wrong whenever we take a risk. Paula describes the key 43 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: problem with the what's the worst that could happen question 44 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 1: is that it serves to bring out the worst case scenarios. 45 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 1: So Paula realized that she needed to change the question. 46 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: If we actually want to face a fear and do 47 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 1: it with the best attitude, we have to ask ourselves 48 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: what's the best that could happen instead of what's the worst. 49 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: When you think about the best that could happen, only 50 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: the best case scenarios will come to your mind, and 51 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: this reminds you of the real reason why you thought 52 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: this was a good idea in the first place. If 53 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: you're keen for more tips like this one, I think 54 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: you will love my new book time Wise. You can 55 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: get it from all the usual places where you buy books. 56 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: How I Work is produced by Inventing with production support 57 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: from Dead Set Studios. And thank you to Martin Nimma, 58 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: who does the audio mix for every episode and makes 59 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: everything sound so much better than it would have otherwise. 60 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: See you next time.