Try thinking about the ‘what ifs’ in life

Dillan Schorfheide, Assistant Sports Editor

Every one of us has had that experience in our life where something happened, then we look back later and say what if.

Some people will tell you to not think about what if, to only look forward or to not ponder on the past.

For me, when I have played sports in the past, you think to yourself and say, “What if I did this instead of that, we could have won.” But coaches and others will tell you, “Well that’s not what you did, so think about what you did do and how to fix that.”

Of course, there are exceptions, not everyone tells you to not look at the what ifs.

I like to think about what ifs. For one, thinking about different possible scenarios is a fun activity to give your brain some exercise.

It is probably something you would do during a long car ride, or a train ride, but it helps kill time pretty well.

While you are listening to music on your train ride, instead of looking out the window at the 100th corn field, you can think to yourself, “What if McDonald’s did not become the biggest fast food chain? Would Burger King or Wendy’s be the top dog?”

The best reason to look at the what ifs is to get better and plan ahead for the future.

Sticking with sports, I have thought the typical ‘what if’ more than a couple of times, and I think it is important to think about that.

If I made a mistake that had a significant impact on the game, even a smaller mistake, I think that I should look at the situation to fix it.

Not only should I look at the mistake to know what to do instead, but, as an athlete, I would think about what would have happened if I did the thing correctly.

By looking at what could have happened, I can then know what to do in the future and plan ahead a few steps.

In life, think about the same things.

Maybe you just had a job interview and it went horrible and you were told you did not get the job.

Instead of moping about, think about what you could have done better and what the results could be. Maybe you would have gone on to the second stage, and then you would have faced a group interview or something. It may seem futile to think about such a thing, but it could help for your next interview.

Then at the next one, you get to that second stage and you have already thought about what will happen, so you are a bit more prepared.

We do these things already: Before, say, an interview, we already think about what could happen to us. With sports, we already practice so we can avoid those what if situations, and we think about possible scenarios on the field or court.

So why not think about the what ifs, when you fail or when you are just walking about?

The what ifs in life can give you some pretty good insight.

Dillan Schorfheide is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].