MSS #084: Embracing Uncertainty: Why It Should Be Your New Normal

MSS #084: Embracing Uncertainty: Why It Should Be Your New Normal

17 Aug, 2024

🕒Read time: 3.8 minutes

🚀In a hurry? Cut straight to the heading “Shifting Your Mindset” - reduced read time 1.5 minutes

How would your life change if you embraced uncertainty as the new normal?

This question isn't just philosophical; it’s a practical mindset shift that can significantly impact your leadership, your team’s effectiveness, and your approach to business challenges.

Beyond the workplace, this shift can improve your mental well-being and heighten your overall enjoyment of life.

Why We Resist Uncertainty

Uncertainty is often viewed as the enemy.

We’re conditioned to see it as a disruption to our plans, a deviation from the calm and predictable life we strive to maintain.

But what if that’s a flawed perspective? If you’ve ever felt like life is a series of one unexpected event after another, you’re not alone.

Many of us instinctively react to life’s curveballs with distress, treating each as an anomaly that must be corrected.

But what if uncertainty is the norm, and those peaceful, predictable moments are the true exceptions?

And the casualty is that when normal arrives, we ignore as if it was an unimportant visitor of little value or interest.

The Power of a New Perspective

In my own life, uncertainty has become a familiar companion. From health scares to financial setbacks, our family has faced numerous challenges that have taught us a valuable lesson: the unpredictable is, in fact, the default state.

This shift in perspective has been liberating. Rather than seeing every unexpected event as a crisis, we’ve learned to accept them as part of the journey.

I’ve also encountered numerous unforeseen situations in my business career. These experiences have reinforced my belief that uncertainty isn’t just a part of life; it’s an integral part of business as well.

By expecting the unexpected, I’ve been able to lead more effectively, make better decisions under pressure and ultimately find more enjoyment in both my professional and personal life.

When you stop fighting against uncertainty and start embracing it, you’ll notice a profound shift in how you handle stress.

You’ll begin to treasure those moments of calm because you’ll understand how rare and precious they truly are.

Your mental well-being will improve as you stop expending energy trying to control the uncontrollable and you’ll find greater joy in the unpredictability of life.

At home we now embrace normal as a welcome guest, that we don’t always see but is always welcome. We notice normal now and embrace it.

Applying This Mindset in Business

This mindset shift isn’t just for personal life; it’s a game-changer in business too.

Whether you’re leading a team or running a company, embracing uncertainty as the norm can transform how you approach challenges and opportunities.

• Business Agility: In today’s fast-paced world, business environments are constantly shifting. If you expect stability, you’ll find yourself perpetually on the back foot.

However, if you accept uncertainty, you can develop a more agile approach, quickly adapting to new circumstances and staying ahead of the curve.

• Team Resilience: Encourage your team to view unpredictability as a standard part of the business landscape. This will help them remain calm and focused during turbulent times, reducing stress and fostering a culture of resilience.

• Innovation Opportunities: Uncertainty often opens doors to innovation. When the path forward isn’t clear, your team is forced to think creatively, leading to new ideas and solutions that wouldn’t emerge in a stable environment.

• Strategic Flexibility: By normalising uncertainty, you can maintain strategic flexibility. Instead of rigidly sticking to a plan that may no longer be relevant, you and your team can pivot when needed, seizing opportunities as they arise.

Practical Steps to Embrace Uncertainty

Adopting a mindset that expects and embraces change isn’t something that happens overnight. However, with a few practical strategies, you can begin to shift your perspective:

• Self-Talk: Start by changing the way you talk to yourself about uncertainty. Notice yourself talk related to uncertainty, catch it and modify it.

Perhaps you might say “Oh no, really, is this happening now” to an unplanned event.” Instead acknowledge it as a familiar thing to be expected with perhaps saying to yourself “Hello, I thought it strange I had not seen you for a while uncertainty, perhaps you were missing me.”

Instead of thinking, “I can’t handle this,” try saying, “This is an opportunity to grow.” Your self-talk shapes your perception of the world, so make sure it’s helping you adapt rather than resist.

Self-talk is a very personal thing.

• See Volatility as a Friend: Begin to see change and volatility as allies rather than enemies.

Remind yourself that these are the conditions under which growth, innovation, and progress occur.

When things are too stable, we become complacent. Embrace the volatility as a sign that you’re in a dynamic environment full of potential.

• Reframe Uncertainty: When facing an uncertain situation, instead of viewing it as a problem, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this? How can this challenge help me, or my team grow?” This simple reframe can reduce anxiety and open your mind to new possibilities.

• Practice Acceptance: Learn to accept that not everything will go according to plan, and that’s okay. Acceptance isn’t about giving up; it’s about recognising what you can’t control and focusing your energy on what you can.

• Focus on What Matters: When faced with uncertainty, identify what’s truly important to you or your business. By keeping your priorities clear, you can navigate through uncertainty without losing sight of your goals.

Shifting Your Mindset

Here’s a thought experiment: What if you woke up each day expecting uncertainty rather than stability? How would that change your approach to life and business?

• Redefine Your Expectations: Start by acknowledging that uncertainty isn’t a disruption but the baseline. Accepting this can reduce the shock and stress that come with unexpected changes.

• Treasure the Calm Moments: When moments of simplicity and peace do come, savour them. They’re the jewels in the chaos, not the standard.

• Lead with Resilience: In your professional life, this mindset shift can transform your leadership. Instead of scrambling to maintain control in an ever-changing environment, you’ll navigate it with more ease and confidence.

• Empower Your Team: Encourage your team to adopt this mindset, helping them stay focused and resilient when faced with the unexpected.

• Foster Innovation: Use uncertainty as a catalyst for innovation, pushing your team to explore new solutions and strategies.

Let’s Talk

Curious about how embracing uncertainty can make you and your team more resilient leaders? Let’s discuss how this mindset shift could reduce stress, enhance your business agility, and improve overall team effectiveness.

[email protected]

Summary

Life’s unpredictability isn’t a disruption; it’s the norm.

By embracing uncertainty, you can reduce stress, treasure those rare moments of calm, and enhance your personal well-being.

This mindset shift can also improve your leadership and team effectiveness by making you more adaptable and resilient in both life and business.

• Uncertainty is the default state of life.

• Redefining expectations can reduce stress and improve mental well-being.

• Treasuring calm moments increases their value.

• Resilience in leadership and team dynamics comes from accepting uncertainty.

• Business agility and innovation thrive in uncertain environments.

• Practical steps include positive self-talk, reframing uncertainty, and focusing on what matters.

Conclusion

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:

Uncertainty is normal, accept that and you won't be disappointed.

Then you can move forward with certainty and not waste time hoping or waiting for things to be different.

See you next week. One more thought 👇

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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, really hope this helped. Contact me if you think I can help you further at [email protected].

Happy thinking.