Eliminate Worry, Resolve Problems, and Pursue Your Life’s Purpose

Core principle:

Our mental energy is limited. When we devote that energy to worrying about circumstances beyond our control, we have less available for solving problems and pursuing meaningful goals.

Monroe describes a simple daily exercise that organizes our concerns and aspirations into three categories.

The objective is to progressively eliminate unnecessary worry, address unresolved responsibilities, and devote more of our attention to fulfilling our life’s purpose.

LIST A: Things You Cannot Control

Create a list containing every worry, fear, anxiety, or concern about which you can do absolutely nothing today.

These might include:

• What other people think about you.

• Decisions other people may make.

• Events that have already happened.

• Circumstances you cannot change.

• Uncertain future events beyond your influence.

• Problems that cannot presently be addressed.

The principle:

Worrying about something does not give you control over it.

If you cannot influence an outcome through any action available to you today, repeatedly thinking about it accomplishes nothing constructive.

The exercise:

Write down everything that belongs on List A.

Once the list is complete, physically destroy it.

Tear up the paper, cross out the items, or throw the list away.

This symbolic action represents a conscious decision to release your attachment to circumstances you cannot control.

The objective is not to deny reality or pretend that problems do not exist.

It is to stop investing mental energy in situations where that energy cannot produce a meaningful result.

Desired outcome: Eliminate List A from your daily mental burden.

LIST B: Things You Can Do Something About

Create a second list containing your worries, responsibilities, problems, and concerns about which you can take some action today.

These might include:

• Resolving an administrative problem.

• Making an important telephone call.

• Responding to an unanswered message.

• Scheduling an appointment.

• Completing an unfinished responsibility.

• Taking steps to improve a difficult situation.

• Making a decision you have been postponing.

The principle:

Action reduces the psychological burden of unresolved problems.

A problem does not necessarily need to be completely resolved before you experience relief.

Simply beginning to address it can reduce its emotional weight.

The exercise:

For every item on List B, identify one action you can take today.

The action does not have to be significant.

Even a small step counts.

For example, instead of worrying about a complicated administrative problem, you might send one email requesting clarification.

You have not necessarily solved the problem, but you have initiated movement toward a solution.

Once a problem has been resolved, remove it from your list.

For problems requiring additional time, continue taking manageable steps until they are resolved or no further action is currently possible.

Desired outcome: Gradually eliminate List B by replacing anxiety with constructive action.

LIST C: Your Dreams, Desires, and Life’s Purpose

Create a third list containing your unfulfilled hopes, dreams, aspirations, and personal goals.

These are the things you genuinely want to experience, accomplish, create, or become.

Examples include:

• Writing and publishing a book.

• Developing your spiritual awareness.

• Exploring consciousness.

• Learning a new skill.

• Strengthening meaningful relationships.

• Creating something that benefits others.

• Traveling somewhere important to you.

• Pursuing a lifelong dream.

• Discovering and fulfilling your personal purpose.

The principle:

Life should not consist entirely of managing problems.

When we spend most of our time worrying about circumstances beyond our control or addressing endless responsibilities, our deepest aspirations remain postponed.

List C represents the life we actually want to live.

The exercise:

Every day, choose at least one item from List C.

Take one action, however small, that moves you closer to achieving it.

For example, if your dream is to write a book, spend fifteen minutes writing.

If your goal is to develop your consciousness, practice a meditation.

If your aspiration is to strengthen a relationship, spend meaningful time with that person.

The important thing is to make progress consistently.

Desired outcome: Redirect increasing amounts of your energy toward List C.

The Daily A-B-C Practice

Monroe’s process can be summarized as follows:

The Ultimate Objective

The process is intended to gradually produce a significant transformation:

List A disappears because you stop worrying about what you cannot control.

List B shrinks because you consistently take action on the problems you can influence.

List C becomes the primary focus of your attention, energy, and consciousness.

Rather than living in a constant state of reaction to problems, you begin living deliberately in pursuit of your purpose.

Monroe presents this as a daily practice, not a one-time exercise.

One nuance I would add: releasing a worry does not mean suppressing an emotion. Sometimes sadness, grief, or fear needs compassionate attention even when nothing can be done about its cause.

And some situations belong partly on A and partly on B. You might not control another person’s decision, but you can control how you prepare for it or respond to it.

My interpretation of the teaching:

Stop spending your life worrying about what you cannot change, start changing what you can, and devote the rest of your energy to becoming who you came here to be.

This entire teaching appears in the transcript’s discussion of Monroe’s Sleeper’s Class, particularly the A-B-C exercise. 

Research & Editorial Note

This article is part of my ongoing consciousness research and exploration of Robert Monroe’s teachings. It was developed through a collaborative discussion with ChatGPT (Sky), drawing upon Jordan Crowder’s analysis of Monroe’s book Far Journeys. The material has been organized and expanded into practical guidelines to make these teachings more accessible and applicable to everyday life.

Benjamin A. Templar
Consciousness Researcher