A few examples of how we extrapolate our exceptions all the time:

• “House prices will probably keep increasing.”
• “That person will never change.”
• “My business will keep growing.”
• “I will never learn from my mistakes.”
• “He do...

But that doesn’t mean we should follow through on every single thought that pops into our mind.

Every time you start thinking about future events or start making mental movies, keep count on a post-it note or a small piece of paper. Be aware of your thoughts. But don’t follow through.

Ask yourself: What’s within my control? Is there something I can do right now? Can I make the situation better? Then do it. And do the job well. 

If you can’t, choose to do something else. Have different things in your life that you can give your attention to. For example: lea...