the Weekly Framework: are you avoiding information you need?
hello, friends đź’–
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Years ago, I read something about how it’s irrational to ever avoid information about our health, finances, or assets. Even when what we learn is objectively negative, it’s still preferable to have the information so that we can make intelligent, informed choices.
As a rational, educated, reasonably smart person, I of course recognized the wisdom of this advice. I resolved that I would immediately obtain complete information and would promptly investigate future concerns rather than sticking my head in the sand.
YYeah, no. That’s what I should have done, but that is not remotely what happened. What I actually did was close the book I was reading, walk away, and try my best to forget that I’d ever read that advice.
In short, I avoided information about information avoidance. How meta!
We all do this to some extent. We notice our car making a weird sound, but we ignore it in hopes that the underlying issue will spontaneously resolve. We worry that we won’t have enough money to pay the bills, but we don’t check our bank balance because we don’t want to know how bad it really is. We know we’ve been coughing a lot, but we don’t schedule an appointment with our doctor because surely it’s not serious. It’s bound to just be allergies, right?
So, why am I talking about this right now?
Because at the start of this month, someone told me, in exactly these words, that I was being dumb.
It wasn’t a general remark; it was in reference to me no longer practicing law. Some random dude at a networking event thought it was dumb that I could be a lawyer but wasn’t maintaining an active license.
I basically shrugged him off and went on with my day; I’ve come to expect that random dudes at networking events will make random uninvited comments.
Later, though, I got to thinking. Was I, in fact, being dumb?
That’s when I realized that I had been avoiding some information that I really should have. I had been assuming that it would be difficult to change my status with the Virginia State Bar. After more than a decade away, I figured I had years of continuing education to catch up on and that it would take months—and probably thousands of dollars—to knock all of that out.
Friends, I was wrong.
this wasn’t on my March bingo card
Just over a week later, I am again a licensed attorney. That isn’t to say I’m practicing law or planning to! But if you can have an active license to practice law, it’s kinda dumb not to, right?? 🤣
Enough about me, though. Let’s turn to this week’s questions to consider where some of you might, just possibly, also be avoiding information that you’d rather have.
Reflecting on last week: How was last week? Did things get done roughly according to schedule, or was the whole week a blur? Either way, did you manage to keep coming back to a project or task, and if so, did you make any progress on it?
Preparing for next week: What’s coming up on your schedule this week? Is your to-do list overly ambitious in light of your calendar? What can you do today to start the week on a good foot? Note that the answer here might be “knock some work out ahead of time,” but it also might be “rest” or “play.” All of these are valid options!
Getting information you need: Where have you been avoiding information that you probably should know? How hard would it be to get that information? What’s the worst that could happen if you investigate more—and what’s the worst that could happen if you don’t? Go gently with these questions, please, but see if you can at least poke around a little bit. The news might be better than you expect!
Limiting information you don’t need: This isn’t to say that you always need every bit of information, or that you should always obtain information just because it’s available to you. I know someone who obsessively checks her house’s Zillow listing, celebrating each increase and fretting about each dip. The weird (to me) part is that this person has no intention of moving or selling her house. She’s putting herself through an emotional roller-coaster just for funzies. Bear this in mind, please, as you start looking for more information. Maybe you don’t need to know everything just because you could.
Taking care of yourself: If, in your poking around, you discover something that you wish you’d known sooner, pause to check in with your internal dialogue. Are you congratulating yourself for finding out now, or are you beating yourself up for waiting so long to investigate? (Also, if you’ve run into information that you really don’t know how to manage, feel free to book a call with me. We can figure it out together.)
Keep your heads up and your eyes open, friends đź’–
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