Change: Living in Uncertainty

Going from light to dark; In the moment that you walk from a well-lit room into the dark, there is a period where you will find it really hard to see anything, this is until your eyes start to adjust to the darkness. The longer you stay in the dark, the more your eyes will adjust to it. Living in uncertainty is the same.

“It takes time to adjust to the dark”

Living with the question, “what do I do next?” is a reality that most of us face at some stage in life. I remember vividly the uncertainty that entered my life when I was flatting in London.  On arriving home one evening, we found that the locks on our doors had been changed, and this was accompanied by an eviction notice. This was extremely disrupting for us, as all our possessions, including our money were locked inside. We didn’t understand why we had been evicted, it was after work, so the number we tried ringing wasn’t responding. In that moment we had nowhere to go and were overwhelmed with uncertainty.

Here are 4 steps that will help with living in uncertainty:

Accept:

The sooner you can accept that things  will or are changing, the quicker you will be able to move your mind to deal with what you are facing. Brace yourself for the effect of the unfolding uncertainty.

Acknowledge:

Things are different and will continue to morph into a state of pseudo function and order. You need to acknowledge these changes and how they will affect you.

Adapt:

Moving into response or action is dependent on how you will adapt to the situation of uncertainty. How much you want to adapt will be dependent on how the situation directly affects you. The effects extend to physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional states.

Arrive:

You know you have arrived when you have embraced a new path that helps you to feel secure, safe and have some clarity about what moving forward looks like. This usually will be different to what it was, so take time to evaluate what you have learnt.

Uncertainty in life is inevitable, often it is driven by forces outside of our control and understanding. It takes on different forms like:

·       Crisis (you can read more on this.) https://www.effectiveinfluence.com/blog/crisis/motivation-to-change

·       Health

·       Trauma

·       Life decisions

  My 5 Learnings:

·       Uncertainty is a part of life, so how do I respond to it

·       Accepting uncertainty will help bring perspective to moving forward

·       How I adapt to uncertainty will be relevant to physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional states

·       I have to understand my part in the success of the outcome

·       What can I learn in adjusting to uncertainty

When uncertainty does impact your life, try not to face it alone. Surrounding yourself with the right people that will support and encourage you in facing uncertainty is vital.

My 3 Questions for you:

·       How do you respond to uncertainty?

·       Which of the four steps do you find most difficult and why?

·       What support do you have around you to help deal with uncertainty?

“Faith means living with uncertainty – feeling your way through life, letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark.”  Dan Millman

 If you need help with uncertainty and change, or if you have questions, please talk to me. I would be happy to chat with you and help.

Remember daily to, “Find value in your influence”

Written By: Paul Fawcett.