A Guide to Dealing with Uncertainty What path to take... The amount of time spend fretting over what path to take, when we’re feeling uncertain, can sometimes be staggering. We’re entering into the unknown territory, and we don’t know how to proceed. It happens all the time for many of us: we start a new job, launch a new venture, change careers, have to deal with incredible change, decide to write a book or create something online, put ourselves in a new social situation.
Some of the things we do in response to this uncertainty:
These are very common reactions to entering into uncertainty, but usually not very helpful. They get in the way of doing the work and living the life we’d like. So how do we deal with uncertain path that we’d like to embark upon? It’s not always easy, but I’ve found there to be a set of practices that can help tremendously.
The Mindset Shift
• Extensive research, often to the point of very diminishing returns, sometimes to the point of being overwhelmed by how much information we’ve found.
The first mindset shift to consider is that uncertainty is not bad, or something to be avoided. It’s a natural part of doing anything meaningful. In fact, feeling uncertainty is a great sign that you’re doing something challenging and meaningful.
• Buy books, courses, programs, other materials that we think will guide us — this isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but in truth, none of this will give us certainty.
Uncertainty can be embraced, opened up to, even loved. We can learn to cherish the uncertainty in our lives, if we shift our mindset and practice with it.
• Try to find teachers or people who will guide us, who have been there before — again, hoping that they’ll give us certainty, but often this isn’t a magic pill either. • Delay making a decision, putting it off over and over because it’s too hard to decide. Avoid, avoid. This might be the most common option, actually. • Give up because you don’t know if you can do it, don’t know what to do, don’t know what the hell you’re doing. This is pretty common too — most people give up before they even start.
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The second mindset shift is to see an uncertain path as a practice 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.
