Self-Management
Facing Uncertainty
With change of any significance comes uncertainty. Uncertainty is never fun, but it doesn't have to be crippling.
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Facing Uncertainty
The unfortunate truth is that with any change of significance, there is a period where questions far outnumber answers. Here’s my unsolicited advice on how to survive those seasons of uncertainty.
Try not to make assumptions or speculate. Human brains don’t like gaps in information, and we have a wonderful ability to invent things to fill in blanks. When you are entering a season that, at least for a while, will have many blanks, be careful with the stories you tell yourself to fill those gaps.
Be as patient as you can. Those gaps in information that we don’t like? They tend to make us antsy. In the world we all live in right now, more uncertainty is especially hard to take. But there’s no avoiding it… in most cases, the only way out is through, so be as patient as your circumstances allow you to be.
Be careful of reactive responses. Change has a way of pushing us into our lizard brains. That’s normal and ok, but try not to let the lizard brain drive for very long. Every time I’ve made a decision out of heightened emotion, I’ve regretted it. Give yourself space and time to digest what you learn before you decide how to respond to it.
Be there for each other. Doesn’t matter if the other side of change is paradise or purgatory, the messy middle is never comfortable. So when you’re in the midst of uncertainty, lean on the people you trust. Uncertainty is no match for the power of humans in community.
Keep perspective. Especially with changes in your professional world, it can feel like your identity is being challenged. But, I promise you, you are more than your job. A lot more. When your professional world cannot or will not validate you, find your sense of purpose and meaning elsewhere. Make art. Volunteer. Learn swing dancing. Write. Find yourself—and your value—somewhere other than work.
All of this, of course, is much easier said than done. The good news about change is that it is always transitory. It will eventually come to an end, and—one way or another—life will stabilize again.
