Worry is the mind's attempt to create security about the future.

Despite never actually working, we keep doing it—as if the act of worrying will prevent the disaster.

The driving force behind worry is our need to know beforehand that things will be okay. But here's the uncomfortable truth: No one can be completely certain about the future. Worry is a battle we can't win.

Yet some leaders face uncertainty with genuine confidence.

They look forward to challenges with enthusiasm because they trust something worry-prone leaders don't: their ability to figure things out.

The Real Problem With Worry

Most leaders think worry is about the future. It's not. Worry is about the present—specifically, your present belief about your own capability.

When you worry about next quarter's results, you're really saying: "I don't trust myself to handle whatever happens."
When you lose sleep over a difficult conversation, you're actually thinking: "I don't believe I can navigate this well."
When you stress about scaling your team, you're telling yourself: "I'm not capable of figuring this out."

Worry isn't about future events. It's about present beliefs.

And here's what makes it worse: Every time you give those worried thoughts high importance and long duration—what I call their "Relative Weight of Importance and Duration" (RWID)—you're training your brain to see uncertainty as threat instead of opportunity.

The Evidence You're Ignoring

Here's what worry-prone leaders miss: You already have overwhelming evidence that you can handle uncertainty.

Think about it. How many challenges have you navigated in the last five years? How many problems have you solved that you didn't initially know how to solve? How many times have you figured it out when the path wasn't clear?

You've been building competence for years. Every obstacle you've overcome. Every difficult decision you've made. Every time you found a way forward when you couldn't see the whole path.

That's not luck. That's your track record.

But if you never pause to integrate those wins—if you treat them like checkboxes instead of evidence—you remain anxious even when the data says you can trust yourself.

The Five I AMs

Confident leaders operate from four core beliefs that worry-prone leaders haven't developed. They can face uncertainty because they know:

I am deserving. I deserve another level of success. Good things are allowed to happen in my life. (Instead of: "I don't deserve good outcomes.")

I am ready. I don't need perfect preparation to take the next right step. I can throw myself into the ring and figure it out as I go. (Instead of: "I'm not ready yet.")

I am capable. I can handle whatever comes. With enough time, patience, mentorship, and work, I can figure anything out. (Instead of: "I can't handle this.")

I am open. I'm willing to learn, try new approaches, and change when needed. Growth is always possible. (Instead of: "I'm stuck in my ways.")

I am persistent. I will continue even when it gets hard. I get energy from tackling challenges no one else will attempt. (Instead of: "I give up when things get difficult.")

Taking Control of Your Mental RWID

Here's the game-changer: You can control which thoughts get importance and duration in your mind.

Right now, you're probably giving worried thoughts about the future high RWID—treating them as important and focusing on them for long periods. Meanwhile, evidence of your capability gets low RWID—brief acknowledgment before moving to the next task.

Flip it.

Give your wins high RWID. Spend time reflecting on them. Let the evidence of your capability become "real" in your mind through importance and duration.

Give worried thoughts low RWID. Acknowledge them briefly, then redirect to evidence and empowering beliefs.

Your Weekly Win Integration Practice

Every Friday, spend 15 minutes on this simple practice:

Step 1: Capture the Evidence

What did I figure out this week that I didn't know how to do before?
What challenge did I navigate successfully?
What evidence do I have that I'm growing?

Step 2: Connect to the Four I AMs

How does this week's evidence prove I am deserving, ready, capable, open, and persistent?
What does this tell me about who I'm becoming?

Step 3: Give It High RWID

Spend real time with these wins. Don't rush through them.
Let your brain absorb the fact that you're more capable than you were last week.
Allow yourself to feel the confidence that comes from accurate self-assessment.

The Shift That Changes Everything

When you systematically integrate wins and give empowering beliefs high RWID, something profound happens:

You stop approaching challenges from "Can I handle this?" and start approaching them from "I trust my ability to figure this out."

That's not naive optimism. That's evidence-based confidence.

You still can't control the future. But you can trust your proven ability to handle whatever it brings.

Your track record is already telling the truth about your capability.
The question is: Are you giving it the importance and duration it deserves?

Stop trying to control tomorrow. Start trusting the leader you've already proven yourself to be.