The Danger Of Catastrophic Thinking

And the power of planning, avoiding drama and thinking logically and rationally

I write this newsletter for you. Because I think a lot of what I’m doing and going through might be similar to what you’re doing and going through. Going through skewed in a positive direction.

Because the drama kings and queens among us are always going through something. But they’re really not going through anything.

Instead they wallow in the mire.

So, necessarily, I also write this newsletter for myself.

As a way to—

• Come up with and develop thoughts and ideas.

• Develop and execute current and future plans.

• Remind myself of where I need to be physically, mentally and emotionally.

• Situate myself there.

• Vision the best possible future on all of the above.

• And deal with the inherent uncertainty.

Uncertainty that naturally leads to concerns.

While this is a mini-break from the current series on our concerns around moving to Spain, it’s closely related.

As I noted in the initial installment—

So much of those points and the things we’ll touch on in this series have to do with uncertainty. As much as we both love not knowing exactly what to expect, it’s tough to be completely comfortable with not knowing exactly what to expect.

Also, it’s easy to amplify concerns in a new and different setting, especially a setting that’s an ocean away and thousands of miles away from your present setting.

While this makes some sense, it’s not necessarily sensible.

A Series About Worries: Concerns Around Moving To Spain

Bad grammar notwithstanding, it is super easy (probably very human) to let uncertainty (not knowing what to expect) and an anticipated lack of familiarity with a new setting lead to catastrophic thinking.

For example (por ejemplo)—right now (ahora mismo) the plan I laid out to cover visa and relocation expenses and apartment rent in Spain is working out better than even the most optimistic me could have anticipated.

Exactly How I Plan To Maintain Cash Security And Not Touch Savings When We Move To Spain

Thanks to a killer month this month on Medium (likely my best since January 2023), I’m looking ahead of schedule on that plan. As detailed in the above article, this is huge as it covers our biggest financial obligation—rent—allowing us to save more aggressively and cover other necessary and discretionary expenses in 2025 with relative ease.

As it’s going super well—and you can probably relate to this—I keep thinking, it’s going too well. Something has to go wrong!

Catastrophic thinking because—

• no, something doesn’t have to go wrong, and

• planning the way I do has another welcome effect that should be soothing.

If there’s a hiccup to this plan, it has still helped developed a level of financial security that will help us deal with whatever obstacle. From there, we simply regroup and devise a plan B. Alternatives—many of which are already in place or can be put into place with the press of a button and slight shift in action and mindset.

Along similar lines—

• I read stories about the rental market going crazy in Valencia, Spain.

Take a breath. Consider the source. Lots of people who write and post these stories love to wallow in the mire and create drama. They don’t all have experience renting in competitive, growing markets.

I lived through—and rented multiple apartments during—the dot-com boom, bust and rebirth in San Francisco. I have lived in the epicenters of gentrification there and dealt with tight rental markets in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

The reality on the ground is almost always less dramatic, less intense and less difficult to navigate than it is in the accounts people make on social media and in local newspapers.

And even if it is tough, it’s not impossible. Never is. Not if you plan well and use your strengths.

We have all been in these situations where we give in to the drama, think catastrophically and lose sight of reality. Our reality. And the reality on the ground.

The fact is things don’t always go exactly as you planned. And this doesn’t mean they go wrong. They just go differently. You act accordingly and go with the flow.

The fact is that lots of people are renting apartments—and doing tons of other shit—in dozens of places where the sensational stories say it’s “impossible.” (Or there wouldn’t be a sensational story to write in the first place!).

Who are these people? Are they any more savvy than you? You’ve been there before. Many times. Act like it. And chill.

In future installments between now and the move and after the move and beyond, I’ll expand on all of the things mentioned today and more.

But, for now, don’t give in to catastrophic thinking.

Do what Tom Petty would do. Find a way to chill and realize that—

Most things I worry 'bout never happen anyway.

And become a paid subscriber to the Never Retire newsletter. Because the freaking move to Spain is less than eight months away!