In today’s society, uncertainty is one of the main obstacles when it comes to not achieving your goals. Whenever you’re not being sure of something, how do you usually feel?
If you feel stressed, anxious, or demotivated, you’re not the only one. In fact, that’s how you’re supposed to feel. But that’s not how you’re supposed to live your life.
Uncertainty is anyone’s dream killer and learning how to deal with uncertainty is key.
I’ve had my fair share of uncertainty in the past and I’m still going through uncertainty.
I was not sure when I first spoke in front of people, when I ran my first marathon, or when I wrote & published my first book.
As of the present moment, I’m experiencing a lot of uncertainty because a few months ago I decided to become a certified coach and there were and still are many things that I have no idea how to deal with.
Even though I’ve been a coach since 2018, I decided to get my certification because I wanted to start working with bigger companies and organizations. Right now, I’m close to finishing the education process and then I’ll have to pass the exam. And even though I got a lot of support from the facilitators and mentors of the programme, I still feel uncertain about passing the exam and getting in touch with these bigger organizations out there.
Not being sure is normal whenever you’re starting something new
Let’s normalize a bit the fact that it’s completely human to feel uncertain whenever you’re doing something new.
Yes, not being sure of how you’re going to write a book is what should happen if you want to write a book and you’ve never done it before.
For sure, not being sure is how you’re going to feel when you decide to move to a different city or country, especially if you haven’t been there before.
Not being sure is something normal and it’s part of our lives.
Not being sure is also the biggest sign you have to keep going.
Most people in today’s society quit whenever they don’t feel sure about something. But not being sure is part of the journey – it’s part of the puzzle you’re trying to solve.
And the sooner you understand this, the better.
When you understand that you should feel uncertain, your life will become slightly better. You’ll start achieving more and you’ll be a bit closer to the things you want in your life.
Just don’t run away from the feeling of uncertainty.
The downside of uncertainty
I believe we explored this a bit already.
The downside is all about feeling anxious, stressed, and demotivated. And the more you’ll reject uncertainty, the stronger these negative feelings will become.
Living in uncertainty is at the opposite pole of having control.
The more you want to feel in control, the more you’ll run away from uncertainty. But control is nothing more than an illusion you feed yourself with constantly.
I wrote another article on this topic and if you feel like you need to be in control, then it may be a valuable read for you. Click here: The illusion of control is nothing more than pain.
The upside of not being sure
Whenever you’re not sure about what’s going on in your life, there’s one thing you should realize: you haven’t made your decision yet.
When certainty is present in your life, it means you made a decision and you know what to expect next. If that’s your current situation, then that’s great.
But if certainty is lacking, things can be even greater.
Since you haven’t made your decision yet, it means you still have the freedom to explore. You are still in a position where you can choose any direction you want and dig as deep as you’d like without making it a permanent thing in your life.
That, right there, is the beauty of uncertainty.
Not being sure of what’s going on in your life will help you discover things about yourself that will only unfold if you give up control and accept the uncertain nature of life.
What is one thing that will allow you to embrace uncertainty?
When I look back at my life, I understand that in order to embrace uncertainty, I need to feel safe.
To be more specific, as I decided to get my coaching certification and embrace the uncertainty behind it, I was safe from a financial point of view and knew that whatever happens, I’ll be ok.
For me, feeling safe in an uncertain situation is key.
If safety is what you need, then how can you create more safety in your life so you can embrace uncertainty?
If it’s not safety, then what is it?
With love and optimism,
David