- Do you ask others what to do so you don’t make a mistake?
- Do you naturally get stuck thinking doom and gloom scenarios?Â
- Do you often feel like an imposter despite all your accomplishments?
- Do you doubt your competency and ability to handle challenging situations?
- Does your mind spontaneously go back to the past and dwell on troublesome situations?
- Do you avoid situations or people that make you feel uncomfortable even though it causes you problems?
- Do you put off an activity when it’s too overwhelming but beat yourself up because you’re not getting it done?
- Are you very careful about what you’re saying, how you’re saying it, and what you’re doing so you don’t make mistakes?
- Do you do your best to think optimistically and positively even though your mind keeps coming up with negative thoughts?
If these scenarios sound familiar, you are playing it safe.Â
At one point or another, we all play-it-safe when feeling stressed, worried, or anxious. We overthink stuff, avoid making decisions, postpone activities or act in ways that minimize our discomfort right away.
I call those ways of thinking or acting playing-it-safe moves.Â
Sometimes those ways of thinking and those actions are adaptive responses. However, if your playing-it-safe moves become habitual and you don’t check how they work in your life, you are at the risk of getting stuck in your head and undermining your own best interests.
Pausing to reflect on your playing-it-safe moves and how they might be holding you back is the first step towards enjoying a more joyful and meaningful life.
Take the first step.
Learn how you play it safe.
In my work, I have identified 10-playing-it-safe moves that we all rely on, but when going unchecked and used often, keep us living a contradiction between the life we want to live and the life we’re living.
Your playing-it-safe profile will give you the awareness you need to stop living small, stop relying on ineffective playing-it-safe moves, and start living with purpose every day you’re awake.
Once you know your playing-it-safe profile, you will have a chance to shift:
From this: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â To this:
| From being stuck in your head | To experience movement in your life |
| From feeling insecure about what you do | To approach what you do with commitment |
| From feeling fatigued after hours of thinking | To feel revitalized when thinking |
| From feeling confused about what path to take  | To have clarity about what steps you need to take |
| From being unproductive | To get the maximum benefits from your efforts |
| From living small | To be yourself |
| From overthinking stuff in your head | To do stuff that matters |
| From dwelling for hours on the past or the future | To be present with what’s in front of you |
| From micromanaging details in your head | To get things done |
Take 10-minutes to complete the Playing-it-safe questionnaire and figure out:
- Your playing-it-safe profile
- Which playing-it-safe behaviors keep you stuck.
Are you getting in the way of your own best life?
Your playing-it-safe moves might feel right at the time, but they can also keep you stuck.
Learn which playing-it-safe moves are working against you!
