We have a natural tendency to avoid uncertainty – it can be exhausting and debilitating. For this reason we can overlook the fact that “uncertainty” and “possibility” are two sides of the same coin. All of us have varying degrees of tolerance for uncertainty, but according to Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr, here are four principles that will help you face the unknown and turn it into a possibility.
- Reframe your situation – “95% effective” and “5% ineffective” mean exactly the same. To some, the difference might just be semantics, but reframing means deciding to look at the situation from an optimistic perspective. Doing so will set you up to make decisions pointing towards a positive outcome instead of merely trying to avoid failure. During times of uncertainty we build resiliency, which is nothing more than endurance and tolerance for difficulty. However, an additional skill must be learned: bravery to explore all possible next steps and trying out different alternatives.
- Prime yourself for new risks – Some of our habits are formed by building a repetitive routine. This predictability on some areas will provide the balance so that we can tolerate uncertainty in others. Get to know the types of risks you want to avoid and the ones you can manage. Some of those may be financial, social, intellectual, emotional, and so on. You can increase your risk tolerance by taking smaller risks, even in unrelated fields. For example, take on mountain biking or kickboxing to learn to face risk and build self-confidence.
- Do something – Taking action is one of the most valuable tools to face uncertainty, since you learn with every step you take. Some of the risks you evaluated in the previous principle will become your action items on this principle, so it is important to experiment with different options. When the stakes are high, focus primarily on your values rather than on your goals. If you aim to fulfill your core values, you will have the confidence to make the moves you need to, no matter how the world responds, because you’ve redefined what success means to you.
- Sustain yourself – Be mindful of two areas: (1) your emotional wellness through awareness of your feelings, and (2) reality checks in which you recognize that failure is part of the process. Make sure to take away insights from both of these through the perspectives of learning, gratitude, and challenge. Focus on the values and relationships that have meaning to you and hold on tight to them because in the end, this is what will sustain you during dry periods.
Based on: How to overcome your fear of the unknown, by Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr, Harvard Business Review, July-August 2022
