Uncertainty Practices and Mindset Shifts
Transform your feelings to curiosity, adventure and excitement in the face of uncertainty.
It happens all too frequently: we start a new job, launch a new venture, change careers, have to deal with incredible change, decide to write a book, create something online, or put ourselves in new social situations — all of them placing us at the doorway to unknown territory. When faced with change and new opportunities, excitement can lead to stress and feelings of uncertainty can arise.
Wanting to feel supported and secure we are on the right path, we can confront our feelings and take action or feel increasingly unsure of how to proceed. The more time we spend agonizing over which direction to take can bring on doubt, and can even become overwhelming, perpetuating and increasing these feelings of uncertainty. Will the actions we choose, give us what we are seeking – feelings of certainty?
When faced with feelings of uncertainty, have you avoided making a decision delaying it, or failing to make one because the choice is too hard to make? Or given up because you cannot figure out where to start, or you have imposter syndrome. Or overwhelm has taken hold of you since you really do not know what the hell you are doing or perhaps you have convinced yourself that you aren’t capable. In fact, most people give up before they even start.
Before you self-flagellate – three things to consider:
- Know that you are not alone
- Remember that the expert was once a beginner.
- These are common reactions to the uncertainty that we experience when faced with change.
Inaction, indecisiveness, doubt and overwhelm all get in the way of doing the work and living the life we would like. We can be our own worst enemy or our best friend. You get to choose which one you want to be by choosing how to deal with uncertainty on the path you would like to embark upon. Easy to say and harder to do. So shared here are mindset shifts and uncertainty practices that can help you alleviate the stress that accompanies uncertainty and transform your feelings to curiosity, adventure and excitement.
The Mindset Shift
Change your mind, change your world.
We can learn to cherish uncertainty in our lives when we create a new mindset and practice shifting our perspective. Here are two ways to shift the mindset:
Uncertainty is not bad or something to be avoided. Experiencing this feeling of uncertainty is a sign that what you are doing is challenging and meaningful.
Uncertainty is a natural part of doing anything meaningful and can be embraced, opened up to, and even loved.
See an uncertain path as a path to opportunity.
It’s not something to run from, but a place to stay, so that we can grow, learn, and create. Every time we feel uncertainty, it can be seen as a calling to open up and practice. To turn towards and try a new way of doing things, rather than indulging in old, unhelpful patterns.
Uncertainty Practices
Stay in the uncertainty as a practice and with devotion. You are staying in this place of uncertainty to practice with it. Practice with devotion. Give yourself permission to feel your feelings in your body, staying with the sensations at the moment. Learn with the practice that it’s not a big deal to experience uncertainty. It also serves those you care deeply about as you maintain more ease with practice. You are worth it, and they are too. Remind yourself of them, and that doing this for them is more important than your discomfort with uncertainty.
Go with your gut (or heart).
If you are unsure of what path to take, go with your gut. It is easy to get frozen in indecision because there isn’t a clear answer. You can ask one hundred people, read a thousand articles and books, or talk to experts but it’s up to you to choose. Learn to trust your gut or your heart.
Standing still at the crossroads is a choice that will have its own consequences, but taking time before making a decision for contemplation is not the same thing. Sit still and take time to contemplate your options. Feel it into your heart and decide. Go with your first instinct. You still may feel some level of uncertainty but know that all paths lead to where you ultimately need to be. The real trust is that even if it is the wrong choice, you can change direction. Open your heart, you will have gained some other insight and experience that can be useful to you later on.
Embrace not knowing.
Embrace the unknown, let the story unfold. Not knowing is what happens when you read a book or watch a movie. If we all knew what would happen next or where a path would lead, there would not be any mystery. There would not be a sense of adventure or excitement. Where is the joy in immersing yourself in a story that you know the ending to already? Become curious, allow something to become. Let it go and let it flow, allow things to be fluid and fresh. Let things unfold as you walk the path.
Be the witness to your own life.
As you move along this uncertain path, see how things turn out. Be the witness to your own life. Notice what you can notice learning from this new information. For instance, when dealing with a health issue or high levels of stress try different things: take power naps, eat more vegetables, practice yoga for 15 minutes every other day, meditate for 5 minutes every morning, noticing how they affect things. Record your observations in a one-sentence a day or mood journal. You can also document one thing each day in a photograph. We may not know how things will unfold, but we can walk the path and find out. As events unfold, you will learn whether things turned out as you expected or not. Stay open. When you need to make adjustments. Listen. Learn. Adjust.
Learn to trust you will be fine. When faced with uncertainty, human beings tend to regularly project scenarios both likely and unlikely. It is part of our innate human survival system. So be human and ask yourself, what is the worst thing that could happen? Think about your answer and understand that the likelihood of that thing happening is pretty slim to none. Most cases will not be fatal. Now that you have taken the time to create fictitious outcomes in your head, while you are at it, ask yourself, what is the best thing that could happen? Learn to trust that things will turn out fine. Perhaps not as expected but fine.
Opting for inaction and not following through on your dreams and desires, AKA not doing anything would likely produce the least favourable outcome. Failure is a way to grow, learn, and get better at something. When you act with integrity and walk the path of uncertainty, eventually you will develop trust in yourself and resiliency. With this trust, you will come to befriend uncertainty instead of avoiding it.
Create rituals to support uncertainty. The way to work with this is through rituals you create to support your practice. For example, you might start your day with meditation, letting yourself feel the uncertainty in your body. You might set a focus session for the first thing in your workday, where you let yourself push into uncertainty every day, at least once a day. You might set up a weekly review, where you make adjustments based on how things are unfolding. In that review, you might notice how things are going just fine, and let that cultivate trust in the process and in yourself to handle things. You might get a group of advisors and check in with them once a month, talking to them about your uncertainty. Figure out what rituals you need to support your practice with uncertainty, and set them up.
Summing it all up.
The path of uncertainty is something you can handle. Many people have walked similar and uncertain paths before you, and some are doing so now. You can do it just as well as anyone.
Our paths must contain uncertainty because no one knows what will come with certainty. We make it up as we go along, learning as we go. If we are conscious about it, we can dance with uncertainty with a smile on our face.
Whether you are currently experiencing some major setbacks or catapulting to success, your journey will be filled with ups and downs along the way. You might fail — oh no, heavens to Murgatroyd! You might succeed — woohoo! You might flop on your face — egads! You might find the success you desired — hurrah! Everyone experiences failure from time to time and success too. You’ll find it easier to overcome obstacles to achieve even greater success by reframing how you view failure and through practice with uncertainty.