One simple tool I use is something I call a:

WOR Check
(Waste Of Resources Check)

At its core, it asks one simple question:

“Is this worth the resources it is consuming?”

Or more specifically:

“Is this thought, emotion, interaction, or activity serving me in a positive and supportive way?”

Core Idea

Everything consumes resources.

Even a single thought.

Most people never stop to consider that:

• attention
• emotional loops
• mental replay
• frustration
• worry

all consume real resources.

A WOR Check helps bring awareness to that.

Resources Can Include

• time
• attention
• emotional energy
• cognitive calories
• physical energy
• thoughts
• assumptions
• actions
• inaction
• emotional looping
• recovery time

Why This Matters

Many people unknowingly spend:

• enormous amounts of energy
• on things producing little or no meaningful return.

Overthinking.
Anger loops.
Negative self-talk.
Rumination.
Emotional escalation.
Pointless arguments.
Fear-based assumptions.

These things quietly burn resources in the background.

Simple Example

I begin worrying about something.

Instead of automatically feeding the worry, I pause and ask:

“Is worrying about this serving me in any positive way, or is it simply consuming time and mental calories?”

If the answer is:

• “No, this is not serving me”

Then:

it becomes a WOR (Waste Of Resources)

At that point, I now have options:

• continue feeding it
  or
• disengage and redirect attention elsewhere

The Important Shift

The real power is not:

• forcing thoughts away
• suppressing emotions

The power is:

becoming consciously aware of what is consuming resources and deciding intentionally whether it deserves continued investment.

One of the Main Goals

Eventually, after repetition, the mind begins doing WOR Checks more automatically.

You start noticing:

• draining thoughts faster
• emotional waste earlier
• low-value loops before they escalate

Over time, the process can become:

detect → flag → disengage → redirect

much more naturally.

Important Clarification

WOR does not mean:

• avoiding effort
• avoiding challenge
• avoiding discomfort

Some discomfort produces:

• growth
• clarity
• capability
• long-term value

WOR is specifically focused on:

unnecessary or misaligned resource burn.

Small Action — Large Effect

At first, a WOR Check may seem:

• tiny
• insignificant
• overly simple

But from my personal experience:

the compounding effect can become substantial.

Why?

Because small resource leaks repeated thousands of times become major drains over a lifetime.

Second-Layer Effects

Over time, WOR Checks can help create:

• increased clarity
• reduced emotional exhaustion
• improved focus
• stronger attention control
• faster disengagement from negativity
• better decision-making

And perhaps most importantly:

a stronger sense of control over where your mind and energy go.

Simple Experiment

Try it a few times.

Not as a rigid rule.
Just as an experiment.

The next time:

• worry
• anger
• rumination
• frustration
• overthinking

starts consuming your attention, pause and ask:

“Is this truly worth the resources it is consuming?”

Now, there's a choice.

Ultimately, this is a Clarity tool that provides optionality.

If you decide to test it out, I hope for the greatest results!

I am compelled to share the beautiful and influential work of Byron Katie!

I also want to acknowledge the thoughtful and influential work of Byron Katie, whose work strongly resonates with many of the ideas discussed here around clarity, interpretation, and self-inquiry.

One of her downloadable worksheets called “Judge-Your-Neighbor” may provide a powerful real-world example that supports the Clarity Engine PTP.

I encourage you to explore it and see what insights emerge for you personally.

Click Here to access her site.